Twice Shy :: Story Two
by J R LeDoux
Summary: Sequel to "Two Halves" by DameWren: Naruto and Hinata return to Konoha, wiser, older and stronger. But as they look to find the life they left behind, they discover that the more things change, the more they stay the same. What adventures await them?
1. Preface

**Preface**

My name is Jordan LeDoux. I'm 21 years old, and about two years ago I read what was one of the best pieces of fanfiction that had ever graced my screen. I am talking, of course, about "Two Halves" by an author we know simply as DameWren.

DameWren began her story in response to a challenge, but as the story came out it turned into much more than simply a response. If I had to pick a single story and call it "definitive", it would be "Two Halves". Sadly, as often happens to those who write, and especially to those who write fanfiction, Wren had to make a choice between the stories she told and the things she wanted to do. And in the end, she made the choice that any of us make… that any of us _should_ make… and gave up on her fanfiction.

But stories and characters such as these are rare. It was with a heavy heart that I resigned the trilogy to being left incomplete, for I was certain that too few people such as myself had discovered just how special this story and these characters truly were.

Now, more than two years after "Two Halves" was completed, I have decided that I will take a chance and provide my own interpretation of the rest of the story. While Wren has talked about her displeasure with her own work, I find it refreshing, and I hope that you will find my own work just as exciting.

Upon completing "Two Halves", I began to envision a sequel and titled it "Three Pieces", with the end of the trilogy titled "One Whole". I discovered, however, that Wren had in fact begun her sequel, and had completed three chapters of "Twice Shy". For this reason, I decided to alter the title of my own sequel to her story and title it "Twice Shy", posting the three chapters she completed and continuing from there.

I must confess that I was torn between digging up Wren's notes on her story and creating my own to complement it. However... after a bit of deliberation I decided in on crafting my own story line, and proceeded to pull out an old fashioned piece of paper and pencil to draw mind-maps of my characters and their troubles. So as we go forward, please understand this is not the original author's interpretation, it is my own. It is a small respect payed to one great author by an aspiring other.

This story will make little sense if you have not read "Two Halves". If you have never read it, I cannot recommend it highly enough. "Two Halves" is the kind of story that makes children and teenagers want to grow up to be an author… it's the sort of story that can actually impact you.

You will find "Two Halves" in its entirety posted in my profile, unedited and unaltered. I will complete this story, "Twice Shy", and will then determine whether or not I will go ahead with my own conclusion, "One Whole".

And so, here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

J. R. LeDoux

PS: After a few messages I've received in regards to usage of Japanese, I'd like to say a few things. Someone pointed out that the phrase "ja ne", which is somewhat translitteral to the English phrase "Later", is only used by girls. This is false. "Ja ne" is a cutesy sort of way of saying goodbye, yeah, but it is by no means used only by girls. It's usually only used by younger kids, but both genders. It does get used quite a bit, inappropriately, by fanfic authors, because a lot of fanfic authors cling to anything Japanese they can. Fortunately, I've taken Japanese... I've actually _been_ to Japan. I enjoy and immerse myself in more than their anime, but also much of the rest of their culture. Any "mistakes" in Japanese speach that I make are almost assuredly on purpose. And I used "ja ne", despite the fact that I'm not really a "younger kid", on purpose.

Japanese phrases in the story will be used for reader clarity. I will add them or use them as I feel is appropriate to give my readers a better understanding and feel for what is happenning, and because most readers are not very familiar with the actual language, sometimes it will bring greater clarity for me to purposefully write something that is "wrong" in Japanese, but conveys the meaning better to readers. Let's all focus on enjoying the story, eh?

PPS: sigh Since I guess someone has already acused me of plagirizing, yes, the** first three chapters** of this fic are not written by me, they were written by Wren, and posted by Dame Wren's Ghost, (who no longer writes as far as I can tell). I'm not taking credit for anyone elses work.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Naruto and Hinata walked down the road towards the big gates that marked the entrance to Konoha. Naruto's hand twitched to reach out and grab Hinata's, maybe even to pull her up next to him and wrap his arm around her shoulders.

She was right there next to him, but he couldn't touch her. Not with the guards watching.

They had both agreed that the generous amount of affection Naruto liked to shower on her probably wouldn't go over too well with the rest of the village, especially her father. They were going to have to tone it down in public, at least for a while.

It had been a long time since they had left the village on a mission with an old friend of the Hokage, a woman who had become like an older sister to both of them. Now they were walking back towards their home and she was walking back to her home, several days journey away.

They both wished that she was here with them, for more reasons than just the mission. With Sora already gone and Hinata out of reach, Naruto was already starting to feel lonely.

They approached the guards who were eyeing them wearily. Naruto supposed that two people arriving in the middle of the night probably was suspicious, especially two ninja that they didn't recognize with Konoha forehead protectors. Neither of them looked much like they had when they had left at fourteen.

"Who are you and what business do you have in Konoha?" one guard asked when they got within fifteen feet of the door.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata. We've just returned from an extended mission," Naruto said, stopping.

Both of the guards started slightly in surprise, looking between each other and then back at the pair. "You're Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata?" the other one asked suspiciously.

Naruto smiled. "You know of another pair with white eyes and whisker marks?" he asked, his voice holding a hint of amusement.

The guard snorted. "Hmm…you're early," he said. "We weren't told to expect you for a few more days, and there was supposed to be three of you."

They both had to hold themselves back from wincing. "Our companion had things she needed to take care of. We hurried here so she could get back to them," Hinata said quietly.

The guards looked at her, vaguely surprised that she had spoken. Everyone in the village knew about how extremely timid the Hyuuga heir was. The other one grinned and knocked on the door, starting to yell. "Hey, open up the gates! We got a couple of shinobi returned home!"

Noises could be heard coming from the top of the city wall, before one of the giant doors swung partially open to allow them entrance. The guard walked through the opening, motioning the pair to follow him.

"Oi, Genma!" the guard yelled out to a group of ninja standing around the door mechanics, laughing at some joke. A man with shoulder-length brown hair held back by a bandana and a senbon between his lips turned to look at them. "You wanna take these two to the Hokage? She wanted to see them as soon as they got in."

The man grinned, the senbon dangling precariously from one corner of his mouth, but not falling out. "Hey, it's the loud kid from the Chuunin Exam a few years ago. Sure, I'll take 'em. Come on," he said, waving goodbye to the group he'd been talking to and starting to saunter down the street with his hands in his pockets.

Naruto and Hinata began to follow him through the lit streets of the village, half hearing the sound of the gate closing behind them. They had left before rebuilding from the Sand invasion had been completed. It was odd, walking past the closed-up shops, houses and restaurants that looked familiar and yet not. Konoha had always been somewhat of a hodgepodge of architecture, mixing old styles with colorful stucco walls and brightly colored roofs. After a few generations of battles, the buildings had had portions rebuilt so many times that it was almost a patchwork.

The sights and smells around them, the sent of food drifting out onto the street from an open restaurant, the hum of the streetlights overhead, the twisting streets and colored walls were all definitely Konoha. But it wasn't quite the same. It wasn't quite the village they left behind.

"So, how long you been gone for?" Genma asked casually over his shoulder.

"Three years," Naruto said rather softly, as if unable to really believe it himself.

Genma whistled softly. How he was able to do this with a sharp metal stick in his mouth, neither Naruto or Hinata could figure out. "Long time to be gone at your age."

"It was an important mission," Naruto said, with a half grin, the confident, rambunctious child returning.

"Oh, I see," the man said, looking back over his shoulder at them as he opened a door into a large cream-colored building. "Well then, it's probably confidential, right?"

Naruto's grin widened as he entered, stopping to hold the door open for Hinata. "You got it."

They walked three flights of stairs before heading down one of the hallways. This wasn't the building that the Hokage's office used to be housed in; they must have decided to move it sometime within the last three years. Looking out of a window, Hinata realized why. The new offices were directly opposite the hospital. Tsunade apparently wanted to be close to any potential patients.

"Hokage-sama?" Genma said, knocking on the door. "Hokage-sama, we've brought Uzumaki and Hyuuga to see you."

There was a series of quick, quiet footsteps on the other side of the door before both halves swung open to reveal Tsunade. Naruto grinned. She hadn't changed a bit. Same blond pigtails, same ridiculous bust, and not a single sign that she had aged a day.

She smiled back. "Welcome home."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"I'm sorry Obaa-san; we weren't able to bring Sora back with us," Naruto said as he hung his and Hinata's coats up on the hooks next to the door.

"You don't seem upset about the fact that you failed," Tsunade said, leaning back in her desk chair. It wasn't so much that she was upset, as she was surprised. She would have thought a failed mission would have made Naruto defensive and have him spouting off about how he was going to succeed eventually.

Hinata picked up the teapot on Tsunade's desk and poured all three of them a cup. "Onee-chan needed to take care of Yasu and Miki," she said. "They need her right now."

"Besides," Naruto said, plopping down in the chair next to Hinata and taking the cup of tea. "It's not like she's disappeared. We just have to wait for a better time." He grinned at her. "Then we'll get her here."

Tsunade looked at the pair sitting across from her. They were definitely the same two that she had sent away, but they had changed. Naruto still hummed with energy, but he sat half slouched in his chair, whereas three years ago he had sat on the very edge. At least until he decided to stand on it. He didn't seem to feel the need to shout how he was going to succeed, although all of his old confidence was still present in his statement about getting Sora here eventually.

He had also grown. A lot. He was at least six feet tall, maybe an inch or two more. Fortunately, he also seemed to have grown out of some of the awkwardness he had as a pre-teen or his long limbs would be going everywhere. Somewhere along the line he had also abandoned his bright orange suit in favor of long black pants and a rust red jacket with a stand-up collar. The spiral design, she noted, was still there, but only on his shoulder, the symbol embroidered on in black. It was like everything about him was the same, but slightly calmed down.

The girl on the other hand seemed to have opened up. She still seemed relatively quiet and soft spoken, but her stutter had disappeared and she was sitting up straight in her chair. She looked down as Ton-Ton butted it's nose up against her leg and smiled as she bent slightly to scratch between it's ears, making the little creature grunt happily. Her hair, apparently rather long now, had been twisted up into a large bun held in place by a pair of sticks topped with silver and decorated with a short fall of pearls. Like Naruto, she wore long black pants, but she wore a fitted creamy wool tunic that fell to mid thigh with slits up to her waist. The sleeves stopped halfway between her wrist and elbow and the collar was cut in a square, framing the Leaf forehead protector tied around her neck. Tsunade noted the swirl that symbolized the Hyuuga house had been embroidered in its standard red onto the lower left corner of the shirt.

"Who's Miki?" she asked. She recognized Yasu, Sora's old partner from her mercenary days, but Miki was new to her.

Naruto and Hinata looked mildly surprised that she didn't know, but didn't think much of it. Sora must not have mentioned Miki in her reports, although that did seem odd. "Miki is Nori and Yasu's daughter," Hinata said quietly.

"What happened to them?" Tsunade asked. "Why do they need Sora?"

They both stared at her for a few seconds before Naruto started exploded. "What do you mean what happened to them? They're in mourning from Itachi murdering Nori!"

"Itachi?" Tsunade repeated, shocked.

"Yeah, Itachi and Kisame!" Leaning forward to bang his fist on Tsunade's desk, Naruto continued. "Those bastards ripped down their defenses, killed Nori and were trying to kill Yasu and Miki when we arrived. All to get to me! And now, Yasu is so messed up that she can't even really take care of herself, let alone Miki! They won't come down off the mountain!"

"Are you telling me that the two of you fought Itachi and Kisame?!" Tsunade said, practically shouting. It was enough to startle Naruto out of his rant, leaving him staring at her slightly gaping. Then he looked over with a questioning look at Hinata.

Hinata gulped. "Um, yes; about six months ago," she said.

Fire burned in Tsunade's eyes. "All right, you two are telling me everything that happened, starting from the beginning, right now!"

"I'm going to kill her! What part of 'under the radar' does that girl not understand?" Tsunade was furious and making no efforts to hide it. She punctuated her last word with a punch to the wall, although apparently her full strength wasn't behind it because it only left a deep dent and not a hole.

Hinata flinched, but Naruto just sat there slumped in his chair. He was still steaming over Itachi and Kisame, the retelling bringing all of his anger back up to the surface.

Tsunade pushed the heel of her hand against her forehead and ground her teeth together. "So, just to make sure I have this straight; she took you out of a well-protected area to go live on a farm?" she growled.

"It was a well-protected farm," Hinata remarked timidly. Actually, in the end the farm had proven to not be protected enough, but it didn't seem to be a good time to mention that.

"Then she took you across the mountains and into the East where she got you mixed up in the military coup where you were nearly executed and then forced to fight to the death?"

"It was more of a political coup than a military one, and when we got around the fighting to the death part, we didn't actually have to kill anybody," Naruto said, hoping to placate her.

It didn't work. "Then she has you live with these people, making side trips all over the bloody east where you consistently get yourself in trouble and end up captured, injured, and almost killed!"

"None of those were really all that bad, Hokage-sama," Hinata said.

"And then, to top it all off, the three of you go head to head with four of the most powerful ninjas in the world! The same ones that happen to be after you!" she yelled, pointing a finger at Naruto.

"THAT Sora had nothing to do with; she didn't want to fight them either! And it was two and then the other two, not all four at once; plus we had Yasu and Nori to soften Itachi and Kisame up for us before we got there! We kicked their asses!" Naruto yelled.

"It hardly makes a difference! It doesn't change that fact that it is an absolute miracle that the two of here at all!"

They really couldn't argue with that. When all was said and done, it probably was a miracle that they were here

"Hokage-sama, I don't understand why all this is a surprise to you. I thought Sora was sending you reports," Hinata said, confused.

She exploded again. "Reports? Do you know what I got in the way of reports?" Tsunade shifted through a pile of papers before pulling out a couple of sheets and standing up to hand them to the two ninja. Hinata held them while they both leaned they heads together to read it.

_Obaa-chan,_

_Naruto burnt his pants today trying to do one of the fire jutsus. I don't know what was funnier: him running around screaming until I hit him with the water jutsu, or how red Hinata's face was when he was standing there with his pants in cinders._

_Sora_

She'd drawn stick figures of all the action, labeling things like "Flames coming out of Naruto's butt" and "Hinata's super-blush."

They groaned under their breaths they remembered the incident. At least Sora hadn't sent the photos. They both knew that somewhere Sora had photographs. Her camera seemed to always be at her fingertips in the pocket of her coat, and there was nothing she liked more than pictures of embarrassing Naruto and Hinata moments. Hinata turned to the next page.

_Obaa-chan,_

_I've decided that trying to teach Naruto to cook is a completely wasted effort. The boy can chop things up and clean dishes like a pro, but he can't follow a goddamn recipe to save his life. Speaking of which, here is the latest recipe for Chocolate Espresso Torte I've been making. You should give it a try (not that you're much better of a cook than Naruto, if I remember right)._

_Sora_

She had written the recipe on the back.

Tsunade scowled. "I can cook just fine, too."

Naruto shrugged. He knew he couldn't.

"For the past three years, THAT is all I have gotten in the way of reports," Tsunade said, waving an irate hand at the papers on her desk. "She wouldn't write for months and then all of a sudden I'd get one of these drivels. I should have 36 full reports on your progress, detailing where you were and what you were doing, and instead I have 10 of these." She held up the thin stack of 'reports' that Sora had written, shaking them at them.

Both of them pulled back slightly, Naruto sticking his hand behind his head and attempting to laugh. "That's Nee-chan for you!" he said.

Tsunade tweaked one irritated eyebrow at them before slamming the reports back down on her desk. "Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking, putting the three of you together. I would have thought that Sora would have developed a slightly less reckless attitude over the years."

"They make each other worse more than anything else," Hinata said.

Naruto looked at her, crossed his arms, and started to pout. Hinata smiled gently and reached across the distance between then to rest her hand on his bicep. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Naruto sighed and detangled his hands enough to put one of his on hers and give it a gentle squeeze.

Tsunade smirked and raised an eyebrow at the pair. Hinata's cheeks instantly reddened as she put her hands back into her lap. Naruto scowled. "What?" he asked.

"Gotten closer in the last three years, have you?" she said, leaning on the desk with one hand, the other resting on her hip.

Hinata instantly reddened.

"Yeah!" Naruto said with a grin.

"I see. And what is your relationship now?" Tsunade asked with an arched eyebrow.

Naruto's grin widened as he jumped up to grab Hinata around the waist while her flush deepened. "Hina-chan's my girlfriend! She says I'm a great boyfriend and she's the greatest girlfriend in the whole world!" He squeezed her tight.

Hinata was rapidly starting to resemble a tomato. "Naruto!" she whispered desperately.

Tsunade's eyes went wide before settling into a fierce scowl. "I swear to god if Sora let the two of you have sex, I'm going to-"

Naruto had let go of Hinata and was leaning across the desk in a flash. "I'm not a pervert like Ero-sennin!" he yelled, ruffling Tsunade's hair.

She politely cleared her throat. "Well, hanging out with him certainly had the opposite effect on you," she said mildly. "Have you thought about how Hinata's father is going to react?"

Naruto scowled while Hinata looked down at her hands. "We'll figure it out," Naruto mumbled.

"Still, I assume you two are going to…tone it down some in public for a while," she said with a slightly irritated edge to her tone.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" he said dejectedly.

Tsunade smiled. "Well, you should be happy to note that I am going to make you guys write up the reports for the entire last three years jointly. That means that you'll have to spend time together in order to write them no matter what Hinata's father wants. And considering how many things you've done-"

All of a sudden she stopped. Tsunade looked at them for a long minute before a slightly frightening grin came over her face. "You two passed some sort of test when you were with the Kaze?"

"Yeah, we got our blacks."

"Which is halfway between a beginner and a full warrior?" She leaned forward onto the desk.

"Yeah," Naruto said, still slightly puzzled.

"So essentially you two tested for chuunin," she said with a smug smile, resting her chin on the back of her interlaced fingers.

"But, Hokage-sama, the Kaze test was nothing like the chuunin test," Hinata protested.

Tsunade waved her protests aside with a flip of her hand. "Yeah, but you two could probably pass that now no problem, right?"

They looked at each other, both vaguely shocked. Could they? Well, they certainly would be a lot better prepared than they were now. Thinking back on the challenges and the fights they realized that they probably wouldn't have too much trouble with the chuunin exam. It wouldn't be a walk in the park, but it wouldn't be too bad either.

The evil grin returned to Tsunade's face. "Plus if we divide all of the things you've done into separate missions rather than just one big one, I'd say you've accomplished quite a few in the last three years, wouldn't you?"

They both nodded hesitantly.

Her grin widened. "Then I expect both of you to be at the qualifying rounds for the Jounin Exam in four months!"

"All right!" Naruto said, pumping one first into the air.

"Jounin Exam?" Hinata said nervously.

Tsunade nodded. "It works a little bit differently than the Chuunin Exam. Fighting comes first, but it's only done in front of a panel of Konoha judges. After all, we don't want other countries to see the abilities of our up-and-coming jounin. From there, candidates are selected and divided into teams of five. Each team has two months to develop into a cohesive unit before the mission."

"Mission?" Naruto asked.

The woman nodded. "It's a different set-up every year as villages take turns hosting. The only requirement on the part of the village is that the mission must start and end in the capitol city and that there is a two week time limitation. Once those two weeks are up, all teams must have completed the mission or they will fail the exam."

"You mean all five pass or all five fail?" Naruto asked, flabbergasted.

She shook her head. "The team must pass in order for any member to be passed onto the rank of jounin. However, what members of the team pass is up to the home village."

"And, the mission is difficult?" Hinata questioned.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "Generally, the missions are tough, dangerous and only the best complete them. That is one of the reasons we test here first; we don't want to send ninja who aren't ready. Otherwise they don't come back."

Hinata gulped. "But you think we are ready?"

Tsunade nodded. "At least ready enough to fight in the trials. I don't know if we'll put you on a team, but I'd like to see what you can do."

"All right!" Naruto yelled, jumping out of his seat. "Just you wait, Obaa-chan! We're going to be the best two there! Everyone else better watch out!"

The older woman smiled while Hinata looked slightly nervous. "I'm glad-" Tsunade started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

A guard poked his head in. "Hokage-sama? Neji-san has arrived to escort Hinata-san home whenever the debriefing is finished."

Hinata's spine stiffened but simply acknowledged the guard with a short nod before turning back to Tsunade.

She looked at the clock and noting the ridiculously late hour, shook her head. "Well, I think that's enough for the night. I expect you to have all of the reports on my desk within the next week. We'll have the two of you qualified for the Jounin exam yet."

They both stood to get their coats when suddenly Tsunade stopped them. "Oh, Naruto wait, I forgot something." She reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a small object which she promptly threw at him. He caught it in one hand and looked at it. It was a set of keys.

"A document surfaced about a year and a half ago, although it took us a while to check its authenticity. It's been in the archives forever, but no one paid much attention to it." She smiled. "Apparently Yondaime Hokage made you his heir."

Naruto's eyes widened. Did this mean she knew the reality about who he was, where he had come from? Had everything somehow come out into the open in the three years he had been gone?

"Apparently, the man felt a connection to you considering that he sealed a demon inside you," she said with a sad sort of smile. "In any case, he left everything to you, including his house for when you turned sixteen."

Naruto gulped. "His house?" he whispered.

Tsunade nodded. "It's a townhouse on the west side of town. It's been boarded up for years now; no one knew quite what to do with it. I remember when Yondaime used to live there; it was rather charming. Clearly a bachelor pad, but some of the village matrons had helped fix it up for him so it wasn't so bad." She smiled. "Take good care of it; a lot of us have fond memories of that place."

Naruto just continued to stare at her. His father's house. It was almost too much for him to think about.

"In any case," Tsunade continued, "I had your things moved over into the house a week ago in anticipation of your return." She glared at him. "Couldn't you have emptied out your refrigerator before you left on a three year mission? I had to give hazardous duty pay to the people who cleaned it out."

He chuckled apologetically, still reeling from the news about the house.

She shook her head in resignation. "I'll have one of the guards show you where the house is. Now both of you go home and get some rest."

As they finished gathering their coats, Hinata laid her hand on Naruto's arm. "Are you okay?" she whispered in Western.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, squeezing her hand as they stepped out onto the hallway. His eyes fell on the man standing opposite the door. "Neji-san," he said with a nod of his head.

Neji nodded his head back. "Uzumaki-san," he said, his voice low and clear. He looked down at where Naruto's hand was still covering Hinata's, then up at their faces.

Hinata quickly removed her hand to walk towards her cousin. "Neji-niisan, it is good to see you again," she said formally, but with a small smile.

Again, Neji nodded. "It is good to see you as well, Hinata-sama. Your father has sent me to escort you home, if the Hokage no longer needs you," he stated, looking up at Tsunade, who was leaning against the doorframe, sake bottle in her hand.

She shook her head. "No, we're through for the evening. Go home and get some rest you two. Juro," she said to one of the guards by door, "do you know where Yondaime Hokage's house is?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," the scarred man said with a nod.

"Good. Take Naruto there; he's the new proprietor. Sleep tight you two," she said finally, closing the door to her office.

There was a dull silence in the hall. Naruto was staring at the closed doors. No matter what he said, Hinata realized that her boyfriend was in fact not fine. The news of living in his father's house, a house he had probably never even seen before, was hitting him hard enough that he was drawing back in on himself. She wanted to go with him so that they could see the house together and she could hold his hand as they walked through the door. But Neji was waiting to take her back and she knew there was no way she could get out of it.

She walked over to her love and softly said his name. When he looked at her, almost as if he was surprised to see her, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. It only took him a split second to hug her back.

"I'll come by the house tomorrow morning, alright?" she asked into his shoulder, switching back into Western so only he would understand.

She could feel him nod before he released her, running his hand up and down her back once before letting her go. "Sleep well, Hina-chan," he said with a smile that was only partially forced.

She smiled back, then leaned down to grab her bag before nodding towards Neji. The two of them walked down the hall in silence.

Naruto turned back to the guard picking up his own bag. "All right, you wanna show me where this house is?"

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

He stood at the foot of the front steps, staring at the house. Juro had pointed out the house and then headed back to Tsunade's office. Naruto stood alone on the street, staring up at the house. His father's house.

It was on a corner in a quiet, residential neighborhood that Naruto didn't remember very well, although as a kid he used to run all over the village. The lot it was on was apparently long and skinny, but the house appeared to be three stories tall. The stucco was painted dark green from what he could see in the dark, broken up by many windows and a chimney along the side. Tsunade had said that it was boarded up, but apparently someone had taken the boards down recently and the house looked to be in relatively good shape.

Slowly, Naruto walked up to the front porch. The boards creaked beneath his feet. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and stared at them for a second before holding his breath and inserting the biggest one into the lock. He turned it and the door swung open with a moan.

It was dark inside, but with a few quick seals and words, Naruto had a ball of light playing along his fingertips. For some reason he was hesitant to turn any of the lights on. Slowly he made his way through the first floor of the house. Most of the front of the house was a living room with a large stone fireplace flanked by bookcases. There was furniture, couches, chairs, and couple of tables, all covered by large dust cloths. The large framed picture over the mantle was covered as well and Naruto carefully removed the cloth. It was a picture of Konoha from the rooftop of some building, just as night was falling.

He wandered farther back and found the kitchen, horribly dated but still spacious. Three of the walls were dominated by long stretches of dark countertop and lightly-colored cabinets. Tucked into the back corner was what Naruto assumed was a table under a large drop cloth. Behind it was a door leading to a small bathroom. There was also a door that opened to reveal steps down to a basement. A quick trip down revealed that it was a large pantry of some sort.

Heading back up the stairs and into the living room, he climbed up to the second story. There was a traditional hallway with sliding doors and another stairway going up to the third story. Naruto decided to keep going up and look at things from the top down. He was surprised to see a small spiral staircase. Hesitantly climbing it and opening the door at the top he found himself in what must have been a rooftop garden. There were raised beds and pots scattered around a patio area. They were all massively overgrown with weeds, but he could see what lay beneath. He smiled slightly, remembering the days he had spent hunched over in Nori and Yasu's rice fields. It might be fun to try to grow something again.

Back down on the third floor he discovered the master suite, complete with a traditional bath. Like the rest of the house, clothes covered all the furniture, but even without the furniture exposed, he could imagine what the room looked like. And he could almost picture his parents sitting on the sofa in the sitting area, looking out the window at the moon over Konoha.

He quickly left the room and headed back down the stairs. The second floor held two smaller bedrooms, another bathroom, and a small informal sitting room. It was the second bedroom that caught Naruto's attention. Something about the yellow room seemed vaguely off, but it took him a moment to realize what it was. Underneath the sheets, all of the furniture seemed vaguely small. Hands shaking, he walked over to the rectangular lump underneath the wide picture window and pulled the cover off with his free hand. For a moment he just stood there staring at it, and then his eyes started to water. It was a white crib made up with puffy light-blue bedding.

His bedroom. This was his bedroom.

Slowly he fell to his knees, and then rocked back so that he sat on the ground with his legs drawn up to his chest. His arms closed around himself, ending the light jutsu and leaving him in total darkness. He let himself go and simply cried.

He hadn't felt so alone in years.

**Jordan's Notes**: Here's some random facts.

1. If DameWren completed _Two Halves_ the summer following her senior year, (which it is my understanding she did), her and me come from the same graduating class.

2. I have been a member of fanfiction dot net nearly twice as long as I was in high school.

3. There are no less than 15 stories that were at some time posted on my profile that predate anything that is there now.

4. I work as a programmer by day for a web development firm.

5. I live with four other guys between the ages of 20 and 23.

6. Even though I am the oldest sibling in my family, I have a nephew and a brother-in-law.

7. (This one will probably be really amusing when you finally see my writing.) I had to retake Junior English in night school to make up for my Junior year of _Honors_ English, which I failed because I made the teacher feel like a moron, (which she was).

8. It was in this night school class that I met the woman I love. :-) It's funny the way things work out.

9. I turned 21 less than a month and a half ago.

10. On my 21st birthday, I got to do almost nothing, because all my friends are a few months younger than me... meaning they were ALL 20.

Alright, that's it for now. Just thought it would be kind of interesting to give you 10 random facts about me. :) I hope you enjoyed DameWren's chapter. The next one should be up soon.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You're involved with Uzumaki-san?" Neji asked as they walked through the streets of Konoha back towards the Hyuuga house.

"Yes," she said quietly, not so much because she was embarrassed as because the streets were so quiet at this time of night. All the houses had their curtains drawn and only the streetlights illuminated their way. Konoha was fast asleep, and Hinata didn't want to wake it.

Neji was silent for a while. He had known about his cousin's crush on the boy for quite a while; a person would have to be blind not to notice. However, it hadn't occurred to him that the two might actually develop a relationship during the time they were away. Teammates were teammates, comrades in arms, not someone to get involved with. Romance should be saved for when they were older and ready to settle down.

The eldest child of the branch family had spent many years of his life hating the head family only to find that his father had found his honor in dying to protect the clan. It had taken years of training with Hiashi and a great deal of growing up to understand the way things were. He still wished things were different, but he had found a purpose in the way things were. He was supposed to protect Hinata no matter what. That was what he had decided.

And he wasn't sure where his involvement was needed when it came to Hinata's dating the loudmouth ninja. He either needed to protect her from the boy or protect her from her father.

"Does he treat you well?" he asked solemnly.

There probably wasn't a question that Neji could have asked that would have shocked Hinata more. Why on earth was he asking her that?

"Um, yes, Neji-nii-san, he treats me very well," she replied.

Neji was impressed by the fact that Hinata was able to look him straight in the eyes while she said this. Normally, personal admissions of any kind were delivered to the ground about a foot in front of her feet. At least that was what would have been normal three years ago.

Her eyes slid forward again and they continued walking down the street. "Your father will not be pleased with you being involved with Uzumaki," he said, almost offhandedly.

Hinata nodded. "I know."

"You don't view your father's opinion as important."

There was a steely determination in her eyes when she looked back up at him. "Of course I consider his opinion important. He's my father. But I'm not going to let his opinion rule everything I do."

Her statement knocked Neji back a bit. He was beginning to think that what was normal for Hinata had changed a lot over the last three years.

They turned a corner and headed towards the front of the Hyuuga manor. She forced her breath to slow as they walked past the white wall of the estate, looking up at the green tile roof. They reached the gatehouse and Neji slid the door open, waiting until Hinata had passed through to close the door behind them. Removing her backpack, she sat down on one of the benches, undid the clips on her sandals and took of her coat. Stowing each in its proper spot, she stepped up into the house.

She was unsure if the house had changed at all in the last fifty years, but she was positive it hadn't changed in the last three. It was the same polished wood floor, the same white walls, the same large overhead beams. Backpack in hand, she wandered down the hallway, remembering the details. She stopped as she spotted her sister.

Peaking out from around the corner of one of the halls was Hanabi, long dark hair hanging down into her small, serious face. Hinata stopped and smiled at her. The girls had never been particularly close. It wasn't that they didn't get along, but once Hiashi had stopped training Hinata and sent her to the academy, all of his focus had shifted to Hanabi, and the girl had rarely left his side. Hinata had been dismissed as just another Hyuuga shinobi, and not a terribly good one at that, while Hanabi had become the prodigal daughter.

Hanabi was very quiet, very serious, and very good at taijutsu.

Hinata offered her a warm smile, but Hanabi simply stepped out from around the corner and offered her a small, "Onee-chan, it is good to see you again."

She fought to keep her smile from falling. "It is good to see you too, Hanabi-chan. You've grown a great deal since I saw you last."

The younger girl was taller, however she remained a little on the gaunt side with a tinge of a haunted look about her. She was twelve now, but she looked younger. She simply nodded in response, acknowledging the comment, but not really responding to it.

Hinata was about to try again at conversation, when her father stepped around the corner to stand behind Hanabi. "You have returned. Welcome home," he said in his low, monotone voice.

She dropped her bag to bow to Hiashi, face composed, spine straight. "It is good to be home Otousan," she responded formally.

"Put your bag in your room and come sit with me before you go to sleep," he said, turning to walk back down the hall.

Hinata sighed inwardly. It was nearly two in the morning and she had been hoping to postpone interacting much with her father until she was more rested. But what her father said was law, so she offered a soft "yes" and climbed the stairs to her room. It definitely hadn't changed a bit. Her low desk was still sitting in the corner across from the door with its little lamp. Her closet was behind that, and in the center of the opposite wall was a little dresser with a small jewelry box she had inherited from her mother. The last wall was made of doors that slid open to reveal the open courtyard below. It was rather austere, but it was the way things had always been.

For a moment she panicked, wondering where she was going to put all of the stuff she was bringing back from Sora's. She had clothes and jewelry, an entire boxful of scrolls, massive amounts of the dark and smoky tea from the west that she had grown to love. She had dishes and teapots and several pieces of art. There was no way that she could store them all in her room. She shouldn't have brought back so much, but she hadn't been able to resist when she knew she would probably never be visiting the west again.

Perhaps, depending on how big Naruto's house was, she would be able to store some of her things over there.

She dropped her bag into a corner and headed back downstairs.

Kneeling next to the door, she slid it open, stepped inside, and then knelt again to close it. Standing, she walked to where her father was seated, Neji off to one side. There was a cushion waiting for her across from her father and she gracefully lowered herself onto her knees, keeping her spine perfectly straight.

Her father stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "Did the mission go well?" her father asked.

"Yes, Otousan."

"Then you completed all of it successfully?"

She resisted wiping her hands on her pants. "Almost; there was one section we were unable to complete, but the training portion went well."

He gave her a look that clearly stated that he thought she was making excuses. "I trust that you have been practicing your Jyuuken?"

Hinata bit her lower lip and willed her lungs to fill with air. "Considering how basic my taijutsu skills were and that I had no one proficient in the style to teach me, Sora and I decided that it would be better for me to learn her style of fighting, Shina-To-Be, and adjust it to take advantage of my bloodline limit."

There was a deathly silence in the room. Nothing in the room moved, as if it had all been shocked into petrification.

"I see," her father said, his voice low and dark. "Hinata, do you understand your duties as heir to the Hyuuga clan?"

"Yes, Otousan," she said softly.

"Then you understand that you are responsible for the continuation of our clan, whose strength lies in a fighting style that you have abandoned."

"Otousan, with all due respect, I did not abandon Jyuuken. I saw an opportunity to increase my skills and I took it, fully intending to return and resume Jyuuken training." She maintained eye contact with her father the entire time, although she looked more like a deer in the headlights than a confident young woman.

Again, there was silence in the room. It was the first time anyone could remember Hinata contradicting her father, and even if her words were polite and her voice hesitant, it still shocked all of them, including Hinata. She had to keep reminding herself to breathe. "You need to think about what is best for the clan, not what is good for yourself," he said.

Hinata didn't understand how he could do this to her. How all of a sudden could he make her feel like a horrible, selfish failure when she had been trying so hard? She was trying to be the best heir she could be, but she wasn't sure what exactly that meant. She had her own ideas about where she wanted the clan to go, what she wanted it to become. But sitting there on her knees in front of her father, all those dreams seemed wrong, or at least misguided.

"You will stop training in this other style and concentrate on your Jyuuken," her father ordered.

"Yes, Otousan," she found herself saying, despite the fact that she loved her Shino-To-Be style and didn't know how she could give it up.

Suddenly Neji's voice rang out from the side of the room. "I am willing to take charge of Hinata-sama's training," he said.

Hinata looked over at him, startled. Neji was a natural at Jyuuken and years ahead of where she was, so it made some sense that he would train her. However, there was a risk that Hiashi was going to take it as an insult that a member of a branch family thought to train the heir of the house.

Fortunately, her father simply nodded. Apparently, she was already so low in his eyes that it didn't matter to him. "Start immediately," he said.

"Yes, sir," Neji replied with a slight bow.

"Good." He looked back at Hinata. "Do you have anything else you need to tell me?"

Hinata thought about the million stories she had, times she had succeeded, even triumphed. There was so much she wanted to share that it was virtually bursting out of her chest. But her father only wanted to know what she needed to tell him, important facts, not stories.

"Hokage-sama has requested that I participate in the upcoming jounin examination."

Her father's eyes formed into slits. "You are not yet a chuunin."

"I took a test in the west that Hokage-sama says counts as being equivalent. She wants me to at least participate in the fighting."

"No. We do not want a repeat of your chuunin exam," he said firmly.

"But Otousan, it is Hokage's orders and it won't be a repeat-"

"No," he cut her off with an icy tone. "I do not want the leaders of this village to watch you fight."

She closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest. He meant he didn't want the leaders of the village to watch her fail.

"I will go to talk to the Hokage tomorrow and have you removed from the testing group. Now, go to your room; you should get some sleep."

She wanted to fight, to press the issue and get him to at least give her a chance. He hadn't seen her fight in three years; he couldn't make a judgment on her fighting abilities when he hadn't seen her in so long.

But once again she found herself unable to take a stand. All of her confidence had drained out of her and without thinking she found herself standing, bowing to her father, and leaving the room to head up to her bedroom.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata couldn't sleep. She lay awake on her futon in the middle of her room, alternating between lying there with her eyes closed and staring at the ceiling. It was no use; she couldn't stop replaying what her father said in her head.

How was she supposed to move on from here? She didn't know how to hold it together, how to prove to her father that she wasn't someone who should be dismissed.

Sighing, she turned over to look at the clock. It was either way too late or way too early to get up, depending on how you looked at it. But, she didn't have anything else to do, so she rolled out of her futon, flipping her braid over her shoulder. She might as well unpack the little that she had brought with her and maybe go back over some of her notes. She clicked on the small lamp that sat on her desk and slid open her closet door to grab a floor cushion.

Picking up her bag, she started to unload items onto the top of her desk. She had her standard change of clothes, toiletries and blanket all packed towards the top for easy access during travel. But at the bottom of the bag were the things that she valued most and therefore did not want to risk leaving behind for a few weeks.

She was about to start unloading them when there was a soft knock on her door.

"Come in," she said quietly, not wanting to wake the rest of the house.

The door slid open a little and Hinata could see Hanabi's white eyes reflecting in the low light. The girl was wearing a black yukata, her feet bare, her hair hanging in her face, one section running down the side of her nose framing her eye. She looked like a dark ghost standing at the edge of the light.

"Hello," Hinata said in a soft voice, covering just how startled she was with a soft smile.

"I couldn't sleep and I saw your light on," Hanabi said solemnly.

Hinata gave her what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "I couldn't sleep either. Would you like to come in?"

Slowly, Hanabi pushed the door open a little wider and slid through the narrow opening. Closing it silently behind her, she waited while Hinata got up to pull another cushion out of the closet. Hanabi knelt carefully on the cushion, her legs tucked up underneath her.

Hanabi didn't say anything and Hinata didn't know quite what to do, so she carefully started to pull things out of her backpack. There were two leather-bound books, a couple of flat packages wrapped in cloth, a roll of soft dark leather tied with a leather thong, and something in a long slim case.

"What's all that?" Hanabi asked somberly.

Hinata looked up, startled. "These? Ummm, well…" she smiled lightly. "These are the things I thought were most important to have with me. Sora is sending the rest of my things later on, but these things I didn't want to be without."

Hanabi looked at her, puzzled. "What are they?"

"Well, these," she said unwrapping the flat package, "are pictures. There's me, Naruto, and Sora, our teacher." She handed her sister a small, framed picture of the three of them in their pajamas sitting on the kitchen counter. It was the first picture of the three of them they had ever taken together and was still one of her favorites. Next came a slightly larger one. "And then here is just Naruto and I a few years later." This one had been taken while they were living with the Kaze during something called the festival of colors. They both were both dressed up in the showy dress clothes of the west, him in a deep orange pants suit and her in a dark blue-green langha.

"And then of course," she said, handing her sister the last picture, "there's you, me, Otousan and Okaasan." It was one of the few they had of all four of them, taken just after Hanabi was born. It was a formal picture, although it didn't hold the rigidity that future family portraits would have. Hinata's mother was sitting in a chair, holding Hanabi in her arms with a slight smile on her face. Hinata, dressed in a small kimono, was standing next to her mother's knee, one small fist held to her mouth. Their father stood behind the chair with his hands on their mother's shoulders, looking fiercely into the camera. Growing up, both girls had spent hours looking at the picture, trying to remember a past they couldn't quite grasp.

Hanabi took in a halting breath and then looked back up at her sister. "And the other things?" she asked hesitantly.

Hinata handed her one of the books. "This is just another photo album. More pictures of the three of us. This," she said, tapping on the book, "is just full of notes." Very important notes, but notes nonetheless. It wasn't something she was willing to share with Hanabi yet.

The younger girl flipped through the pages of the photo album briefly before settling on a page. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing at a photo.

Hinata leaned over to look. "That's Sora again, same woman as the one in the pink bathrobe in the other picture, just a different hairstyle. She's generally kind of…ummm," she paused trying to find a polite way to describe Sora. "Fashion forward."

Hanabi looked at her incredulously. Hinata had to admit it wasn't one of Sora's better outfits. It was while she still had her candy cane hair and she was wearing her modified version of the Kaze uniform with a miniskirt instead of pants paired with a top that looked like it was just barely covering the bottoms of her breasts. And of course she had on her boots.

They stared at the photo for a few seconds longer before Hanabi closed the book and set it aside. Hinata reached and picked up the long skinny case.

"This," she said, opening the box and taking out the object inside, "Is a battle fan." She opened it in one hand with a sharp crack. "My friend Shivani gave it to me when I left the Kaze. The spokes are made out of steel, see?" Hinata turned the fan over, showing her sister the pointed metal strips that made up the body of the fan. "The tips would be poisoned and while the fan is open you can slice your opponent. Closed, the fan can be used to block or hit. Kaze ladies used to carry them to fancy dress parties so no one would know they were armed."

"Does it work?" Hanabi asked, clearly not impressed. She remembered the Suna nin who fought with a fan, but that one had been enormous. This looked like a regular folding fan.

"Well, I'm not very good with it, but Shivani is amazing. She fights with two, one in each hand, and the damage she can inflict is unbelievable. I'd never use them as anything other than a last resort though." Hinata closed the fan with a snap of her wrist and placed it back in its case. "Shivani sent a present for you too, but it's with the rest of my things that Sora is sending in a few days."

"Really?" Hanabi asked with wide eyes.

Hinata smiled. "She said you sounded sweet." Shivani also said that Hanabi would probably be jealous of all the cool things her older sister had done, but Hinata omitted that part. Shivani had a whole talk on why being a little sister sucked which she was apt to spew out at any second.

Hanabi showed almost no signs of hearing the compliment, but Hinata thought that she could detect a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "What's the roll of leather?" Hanabi asked, pointing.

With a smile, Hinata picked up the dark brown suede and carefully undid the tie. "The actual case Sora had made for me, but the important part is inside." She unrolled the leather and then flipped over the top flap. Hanabi gasped softly and Hinata smiled. "These are all of the hair sticks that Naruto has given me over the past year and half."

There were at least two-dozen pairs, made out of every possible material and in all the colors of the rainbow. They ranged from simple and practical to long and ornate. All in all they were staggeringly beautiful. Hinata smiled at them fondly. "He bought the first pair because I mentioned cutting my hair. Then I said I thought they were too nice for everyday use and he bought me more casual ones. By the time he finally worked up his courage to tell me that he liked my hair long, he'd already bought me a dozen pairs. After that, I think he just never got out of the habit."

"They're beautiful," Hanabi whispered softly running her fingers over the tops of the sticks. Other than their formal kimonos, neither she nor Hinata had grown up with pretty things to wear. The Hyuuga household was always rather austere, and their training clothes and everyday outfits were just about all the girls had.

Hinata smiled as her sister delicately brushed her long straight hair out of her eyes and looked longingly at the hair ornaments. "Do you want to try a pair?" she asked.

Hanabi looked up with wide eyes. "Could I?"

Her smile widened encouragingly as Hinata nodded. "Of course, just pick a pair."

It took several minutes of long study before Hanabi decided on a pair made of black lacquered wood topped with large red glass beads, flecked with gold and a few stands of gold beads dangling from the ends. Turning her sister around, Hinata grabbed her brush off the table and started to comb Hanabi's hair.

It amazed Hinata how much more at ease she was around Hanabi now. Her little sister had always been so much better at everything than she was that it was impossible not to be at least a little envious. They had never really functioned as sisters before, not in the traditional older sibling/younger sibling roles. But all of her time spent with Miki and the children of the Kaze, patching up Naruto's little gang of hellions, and hanging out with the other girls, made her feel more nurturing then she had before.

Hinata pulled Hanabi's hair back into a tail at the base of her neck, then twisted it up and tucked the end inside the twist. Holding it in place with one hand, she inserted one of the sticks with the other, pushing through the twist and then flipping it over and back through the hair next to Hanabi's scalp. Then she added the second one and then stood to grab a hand mirror out of her closet. Hanabi patted her hair nervously as Hinata returned and handed her the mirror over her shoulder.

Hanabi sighed softly as she looked at herself in the mirror and tilted her head so that she could see the deep red beads against her dark hair. It had been a long time since she put her hair up in anything other than a ponytail for training. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she touched the beads and then at the reflection of her sister over her shoulder.

"Would you like to try another pair?" Hinata asked with a smile.

"Sure," Hanabi said with a soft giggle. She turned back to look at the ornaments again.

The door to Hinata's room slid open. "What are you doing up so late?" their father asked from the doorway.

"Umm, neither of us could sleep, so-" Hanabi started.

"You have training tomorrow morning, Hanabi. You should be in bed." His voice was gentle but firm, leaving no room for arguments.

"Yes, Otousan," she said quietly, reaching up to pull the two hair sticks out, her hair tumbling back down into her face. "Thank you, Onee-chan," she said standing up and handing the sticks back to Hinata. She bowed formally to her sister and father and then scurried out the door, slipping out of Hinata's grasp.

"Please refrain from interfering with your sister's rest," Hiashi said calmly. "She is training very hard and needs her sleep."

"She saw my light was on and came in, Otousan, I-"

"Nevertheless, the responsible, intelligent thing to do would have been to send her back to bed. I would prefer if the bad habits you have acquired did not rub off on her." There was nothing harsh about his voice, but it cut her all the same. It was the patronizing voice he had used to speak to her since she was a toddler.

"Yes, Otousan" she said quietly.

He nodded his head at her and closed the door.

Hinata clutched the skirt of her yukata in her hands. She would not cry.

**Jordan's Notes**: A few more random facts.

1. The first fanfic I ever read was a lemon for Tenchi Muyo. (I had no idea what a fanfic OR a lemon was.)

2. I'm 6'3" and wear size 13 Men's shoes. (Big hands and big feet... means big shoes and big gloves. )

3. I attended a private school from Kindergarten to Third Grade.

4. I was born in Orange County, California.

5. I, by choice, never had sex while in high school.

6. I, also by choice, have never tried any illegal drugs, (including Marijuana).

7. The first time I ever had alcohol, it was completely legal despite the fact that I was 19, because I was in Tokyo, Japan.

8. I spent almost two years working as a freelance journalist in the video game industry and went to E3 (before it was changed) and the Tokyo Game Show.

9. I play the guitar, and own an Epiphone Les Paul.

10. I have only ever told one person who wasn't a family member I love them... (Before you ask, we're not together anymore...)

I think I'll probably add another 10 facts about me at the end of chapter 3. I think this is a good way to help bridge the gap between Wren as the author to me as the author. :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Sakura! Don't you think you should get up?"

No, as a matter of fact Sakura did not think she should get up. She was still tired and therefore she should still be in bed. She was too groggy to remember why she was so tired, but she trusted that she had a good reason.

There was more bellowing from the kitchen. Covering her head with a lilac-colored pillow she once again asked herself why she had thought it had been a good idea to get an apartment with Ino. Sure, the girls had mended their friendship years ago, but she should have known that did not necessarily mean that they should room together.

Into had always been somewhat of a queen bee growing up. Pretty, confident, and smart, she was someone most of the other girls could look up to, even if she was a bit overbearing. Placement on the team with Chouji and Shikamaru had proven to be good for the young woman, finding that the more she bossed the boys around, the more they shrugged her off. She'd calmed down considerably working with them, and the group had developed enough cohesion that they had stayed together even after Shikamaru achieved the rank of chuunin. Not many teams stayed together once ranks changed.

Still, it wasn't until she achieved chuunin that she had been drafted into the Intelligence Corp., and it was there that Ino had truly come into her own.

Intelligence and spy training had an interesting effect on Sakura's old rival. Ino was sneaky, and woe be it to anyone who underestimated her shrewdness. She had effectively reformed her role as queen bee to now use a combination of skillful manipulation and badgering to get people to do what she wanted. Sakura was terribly glad that Ino had started dating, and maybe was even starting to fall for, Shikamaru. Even at his laziest, he was able to see what Ino was doing. Whether or not he bothered to stop her was another matter entirely.

"Sakura! Get out of bed!"

Lifting her pillow enough to read the clock, Sakura noted the time, then lay back down. "I've only been asleep for five hours; let me sleep!" she yelled back.

There was stomping in the hallway before her door flew open to reveal a rather irritated blond.

"If you want to stay up until three in the morning, that's your business, but don't expect me to put up with you sleeping in all day, forehead girl!" Ino exclaimed, stomping over to the bed with her hands on her hips.

"I was working, stupid Ino-pig, and it's only- Hey!" she yelled as Ino yanked blankets off the bed. "Give those back!"

"You won't say that once you hear the news," Ino said with an evil grin.

Realizing that there was no way Ino was going to let her sleep, Sakura sat up on the bed. "What news?"

Ino stalked to the door and looked at Sakura over her shoulder with a triumphant smirk. "Naruto and Hinata are back," she replied, and slipped down the hallway towards the kitchen.

"WHAT!" Sakura yelped, hopping out of bed, her shoulder-length hair swinging. She bolted down the hall in her pajamas, grabbing the doorjamb to stop herself. "They're back?!"

Ino offered up another smirk as she sat down at the small dining room table with her breakfast. She was wearing a sleek fighting dress with a scooped neckline and a stand-up collar, her long hair up in an elegant twist except for her trademark one piece that fell in the front. "Shikamaru told me. Apparently they came in late last night and spent a few hours in debriefing with the Hokage. They got home almost as late as you did."

Sakura sat down at the table across from Ino with a slight thud and pushed a couple of strands of pink hair out of her face. Shikamaru was in intelligence with Ino and generally news that came from him was accurate. News that came from Ino was either accurate or spun towards some goal. Generally that goal was matchmaking.

"You're sure?" Sakura asked. Just the idea of seeing Naruto again was a shock. She had been assured that he was coming back, that he was safe and just off training away from the village. Still, she hadn't been able to really let herself believe that. In so many ways the memories of those three years were painful.

Ino nodded. "Of course I'm sure. Would I tell you if I wasn't?"

"Where is he? At his old apartment?" she demanded.

This time she shook her head. "No; apparently someone left him a house for when he turned sixteen. It's over on the west side of the city."

"Do you want to go?"

Ino smiled. "Thought you'd never ask."

Sakura stood up and headed back down the hall. "Just let me get cleaned up."

"We should bring a housewarming present!" Ino yelled down the hall after her.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata finally fell asleep, albeit fitfully, and woke up late. Looking at her clock she groaned softly, then pulled herself up out of bed. It was nearly ten o'clock, and she had told Naruto that she would be over this morning. With any luck he would have slept as late as she had. Getting up in the morning had never been his strong suit.

She walked to the end of the room and slid open the doors that exposed the courtyard below. Beyond the railing she could see Hanabi and her father training, her father correcting Hanabi's stance and then making her run through the series of strikes again. Her sister had improved quite a bit in three years. She wondered if her little sister was preparing to test for chuunin.

Remembering she was late for her meeting with Naruto, she grabbed her things and headed down to the bathhouse. She scrubbed herself and washed her hair but didn't allow herself to soak in the tub afterward. Dressing in her standard black pants and cream-colored tunic, she performed a quick hair-drying jutsu to save time (Sora knew a ridiculous number of techniques related to hair). Running back upstairs she brushed out her hair and rolled out her hair sticks, choosing a pair of redwood sticks with a stripe of darker wood inlayed through it. Pulling her hair back into its customary bun, she slid the sticks in and patted her hair to make sure it was all secure.

She left her room and headed down the stairs, trying to figure out how she was going to find Naruto's house, when a voice stopped her.

"Hinata-sama?" Neji said from the top of the stairs. She turned to look up at him, his opposing figure taking up much of the doorway. "Where are you headed?"

"I'm going over to Naruto's. I told him I would be by this morning," she said. She was determined to go, but she wanted to get out of the house before her father finished training with Hanabi simply to avoid any possible confrontation.

Neji nodded. "I'll go with you; I know where the house is. Afterwards we can start working on your training."

Hinata wanted to go alone, to catch a few minutes where she could just have Naruto hold her. But she didn't know where the house was while Neji did, and somehow she got the feeling he wasn't going to let her go alone even if she said something. So, with an inward sigh she waited for Neji to walk down the stairs and join her. They were silent as they collected their coats and put on their shoes. Neji held the door for her as she walked through, then the two of them set off through the village.

It occurred to Hinata that her already serious cousin had become even more serious in the three years she had been away. It also occurred to her that if they were going to do anything more than walk in silence, she was going to have to start the conversation.

"What have you been doing for the last three years, Neji-nii-san?" she asked.

He looked at her for a second and then offered a small shrug. "Hokage-sama saw fit to keep my genin team together, although all three of us passed the jounin exam last year. I have been going on missions with them, along with training with Hiashi-sama."

She smiled at him. "Congratulations on making jounin. Its amazing that all three of you moved up in such a short amount of time."

"I confess it was very difficult, but we worked hard. Plus, they look to put teams that will work well together for missions, and the three of us are so accustomed to working with each other that it outweighed our youth. We are one of the few teams that has stayed together for so long; most people have gone into specialist training. They put us with a couple of older chuunin who specialized in genjutsu and ninjutsu and we passed."

"Do you know how the others from our chuunin test group are doing?"

"From what I know, they have all made chuunin at this point. Nara-san probably would have made jounin, but they keep him very busy in intelligence and he says it can't be bothered. I don't know which of them are planning on testing for jounin with you and Uzumaki-san."

She smiled sadly. "If I take the jounin exam. Otousan seems determined to keep me from testing. I suppose my chuunin exam was embarrassing enough."

Neji didn't respond immediately, leaving the two of them to walk down the street silently, listening to the sounds of the village bussing around. He startled her in more ways than one when he spoke.

"Hinata-sama, I want to apologize for the way I acted towards you during the chuunin exam," he told her.

She looked at him with a slightly confused look on her face, traces of sadness on her face from the old memory. "Why? You needed to defeat me in order to continue with the test."

Clasping his hands behind his back, he bowed his head as they walked. "Still, I was fighting you out of anger. You fought hard and I belittled you because of my hatred for the head family. I dishonored both you and myself."

She shook her head and looked at the ground at her feet. "Neji-nii-san, I can understand why you hated the head family. We weren't very fair to you or your father."

He stopped and put a hand on her arm to stop her as well. Hinata couldn't remember a time he had ever touched her except for their one fight. Looking into his eyes, she found they gleamed with emotion and purpose that she had never seen in him before. "My father chose to give his life to protect the village and the clan. Now it is my choice to follow in his footsteps. Cursing the head family and my fate is not going to change anything. I will take what fate has given me and make a better future. That is my nindo."

He was willing to bury the past, she realized. To undo years, generations of division between the two groups, and move forward to create one family together. She had been so frightened that she was going to arrive home to a situation similar to that in the Kaze, where the branch family was ready to overthrow the head. Instead the cousin she had been so frightened of her whole life was here offering a truce.

It brought tears to her eyes, but she did not let them fall, standing with her back straight and turning herself to face Neji more fully. "I do not intend to run the clan the same way my ancestors have, Neji-nii-san. Most likely the way I want to do things will bring me into conflict with my father. I am still finding the strength to defy him, but I will, and when I do I don't want you to be caught in the middle. I am not quite the same girl who left three years ago, and I cannot guarantee that you are going to like what I'm going to do."

Neji offered her a rare smile, just the barest upturning of his mouth. "I have noticed you are not the same, and while I cannot guarantee I will always agree with you, I offer my support to you nonetheless."

She smiled brightly and nodded. "Thank you, Neji-nii-san." she said.

He nodded, and they turned to start walking down the street again. "Tell me," he said, "about this new style you have learned. You said you have incorporated our strikes into it?"

Hinata began to explain Shina-To-Be, the Kaze, and partner training to Neji. He asked good questions, which made it easier for her to talk. The only thing that threw her off was that he kept asking questions about her and Naruto. He had mentioned it the night before as well, but she couldn't understand why.

She was considering asking when she heard a wild stream of barking quickly followed by a large white dog that nearly knocked her over. She jumped back letting out a shriek of surprise, only to nearly loose her footing again as the dog circled her legs, butting his head up against her.

It wasn't until she got a good look at the dog that realization dawned upon her. "Akamaru?!" she asked and the dog yelped happily. "Look at you! You've gotten so big!" she said, kneeling down to be at the dog's height while she scratched behind one of his ears. The dog leaned forward and licked her cheek, making Hinata giggle.

"Akamaru!" came a deep yell from down the street. Looking up, Hinata spotted two familiar figures running towards them. One was a man in black sunglasses with a long, high-collared jacket and the other had on a big parka, which he was wearing open over a tight-fitting t-shirt.

"Akamaru, what the hell are you doing running- oh!" The man with the parka stopped to stare at the girl playing with his dog. "Hinata? Is that you?"

"Kiba-kun! Shino-kun!" she exclaimed happily, standing again with a final pat to Akamaru's head.

Shino nodded at her and she could see the faint wrinkles of a smile around the edges of his glasses. "Hinata, it is good to see you back in Konoha again and looking well."

"Looking well?" Kiba asked incredulously. "Shino, have you had those damn glasses of yours checked recently? Hinata's turned into a BABE!"

Hinata suddenly found her hand grabbed and she was spun around in a circle, Kiba inspecting her as he turned her around. "Damn, what did you do to yourself? You look hot!"

Her face turned bright red, embarrassed beyond what she had previously thought possible. She couldn't believe that Kiba was talking like this! Things only got worse as he tugged on her hand to bring her closer to him and dropped one arm over her shoulders.

"Hey, have you gotten a chance to see the village yet? A lot of things have changed in the time you've been away. There's a great restaurant that opened up on the other side of town. How about I show you around and then we grab dinner?"

"Um, actually, Kiba-kun, I'm on my way to see Naruto," Hinata said ducking out from under Kiba's arm.

"Why? You were just forced to put up with him for three years," he asked.

"She's dating Uzumaki-san," Neji said from behind her, arms crossed over his chest. Kiba had matured into a rather roguish teenager, whose combination of bad-boy charm and a cute dog had started to win him dates with many of Konoha's young ladies. Generally the girls' fathers objected, but generally Kiba didn't give a damn. Neji didn't exactly dislike Kiba, but he might as well stomp any ideas of him dating his cousin right now.

"Eh? Naruto?" He scrunched his nose in disgust and shook his head. "Hinata, whatcha doing going out with an idiot like him?"

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata said shocked. "Naruto is not an idiot!"

"Heh, he does a pretty good impression of one, running around yelling, pulling pranks, and eating ramen."

"Naruto is a sweetheart! He's one of the kindest, bravest, and strongest people I know!" Hinata said, with a startling ferocity.

"He also," Neji said calmly, "beat you in the Chuunin Exam, Kiba-san."

"Heh; it was a fluke," Kiba responded with a dismissive wave. "I'd kick his ass now. Besides, Hinata's been on a mission for three years with him; she probably hasn't had a chance to see what her other options are." He gave her what could only be described as a wolfish grin.

"I really don't think I need to, Kiba-kun," Hinata said, wishing she just had a little bit of Sora's ability to tell off men. "I'm very happy with Naruto."

"Yeah, well, we'll see about that," he said. "Shino and I were heading out to train, but maybe I'll come bug the idiot with you. Could be fun."

Much to Hinata's disappointment, Shino nodded. "I would like to see Uzumaki-san again."

She sighed. First Neji, and now Kiba and Shino. Things weren't going well for her and Naruto getting some time along together.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"He's going to kill it," Sakura said, staring at the large leafy green thing in her arms.

Ino shrugged. "You obviously don't understand housewarming presents," she said with an air of infinite superiority.

Sakura scowled. "It's you who wanted to bring this instead of something practical that we knew he could use."

"Cup ramen is not an appropriate housewarming present," Ino scolded Sakura.

The other girl rolled her eyes. Decision-making between the two girls always took forever. It had taken them three months of paint swatches and arguments to agree on painting the kitchen white. "But that's what he likes. Everyone knows that that's what he likes."

"What if he's grown up in the last three years and doesn't like it anymore?"

Sakura stared at her. She couldn't see that happening. A Naruto who didn't eat ramen? She wasn't sure he would still be Naruto.

They continued to gripe and grumble at each other as they walked down the street. They had spent so much time arguing over the present that it was almost eleven o'clock.

Ino glared at something Sakura said, then pulled out a slip of paper. "Okay, so according to Shikamaru his house should be right kiddy-corner for his one."

Both girls looked up at the house and stared.

"Are you SURE?" Sakura asked, disbelieving. "Who would give a house like that away to Naruto?!"

Ino looked back down at the sheet in her hand. "That's the address I was given."

Sakura shrugged. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to go over and knock," she said wearily.

They crossed the street and cautiously walked up the front steps. They shifted their weight from side to side for a second, before Ino got impatient. "Oh, don't be ridiculous! We're ninja for heaven's sake! What could possibly be behind that door that we can't handle?" She made a fist and knocked loudly on the door.

They heard a thump, the sound of feet, and then the slipping of the deadlock. The door opened and a very bleary-eyed young man poked his head out.

"Hello?" he asked, clearly not yet awake.

Both girls stared. Where they had expected Naruto's head to be was, in fact, a bare and rather well-muscled chest. Slowly their eyes moved up to his face where blond hair was hanging in his eyes. He was rubbing his eyes with one hand while he yawned.

"HOT DAMN!" Inner Sakura screamed.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked disbelieving.

"Huh," he said as his vision cleared. "Sakura-chan? Ino-san?" he said, looking between the two of them. They continued to stare at him.

Suddenly he grinned broadly, let out a whop and both girls found themselves in a crushing hug, potted plant and all.

"Na-Naruto-kun," Sakura managed to get out as her lungs were crushed. Well, at least it was definitely him.

Just as quickly as the girls had found themselves picked up, they were suddenly released again, gulping in air.

"It's great to see you! Come in! Come in!" he said, holding the door wider.

Cautiously, they walked inside.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto had decided that he couldn't sleep in the bedrooms. He didn't want to sleep where his parents had once slept, and he had shut the door to the nursery, not intending to open it up again for a very long time. That left him with the guest bedroom, but the spring-filled mattress had felt odd after years of sleeping on the ground or a futon. Finally, he had pulled the drop-cloth off of the couch, pulled his camping blanket out of his backpack, and slept there. He had spent a number of nights on the couch at Sora's with Hinata and Miki right after Nori's death, since his sister wouldn't let them sleep in each other's bedrooms.

The sun was relatively high in the sky when he heard the banging on his front door. It only partially registered in his brain, but he swung his feet off of the couch and walked like a zombie across the living room floor to the door.

The shock of seeing Sakura and Ino at his front door had shaken him out of his slumber and gone a long way to restoring his good mood. Seeing old friends again, even if they had both been brats and even if his crush on Sakura had long since faded away, brought a tremendous sense of joy to his heart. They had come to see him as soon as he returned.

"We brought you a philodendron," Ino told him, pointing at the plant Sakura was still holding.

Sakura waited for him to say something stupid and unintentionally rude, but instead he grinned and said. "Awesome! Thanks!" His words left Sakura standing there rather dumbly, staring at him. This was Naruto?

Ino looked at her, clearly wondering why she wasn't talking, before turning back to Naruto. "It's a beautiful house. Traditional and modern all at the same time." Naruto realized it was true. Now that he was seeing the house in the daylight rather than just the small light from the jutsu, he realized that it was a nice blend of a modern layout with traditional simple lines and materials. All of the floors were done in a wood so dark it almost looked black, while the walls were in a finely grained wood that seemed to glow red in the sunlight. The single couch that was uncovered was dark green with a classic sleek look, although Naruto could attest to the fact that it was very comfortable.

"Yeah, well, I was surprised to get it, but it's pretty cool," he said, trying to sound nonchalant, but failing miserably. Fortunately, Ino and Sakura thought he was trying to disguise his pride, while he was actually trying to not reveal that it was his father's house. He wasn't ready to tell his friends everything.

"Who gave it to you?" Ino asked.

"Heh," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck with a falsely bright grin. "Yondaime left it to me; don't ask me why!" 'Please don't ask me why,' he thought. 'I don't want to lie to you and I don't want to explain.'

"Really? Yondaime?!" Ino asked, stunned. Poor Sakura continued to stand there and stare, philodendron in hand.

"Yeah; weird, huh?" Naruto replied.

Ino's eyes narrowed. She hadn't been trained as a spy for nothing; she could tell that Naruto was holding something back. She had opened her mouth to grill him when there was another knock on the door.

"Hold on," Naruto said, grateful for the interruption. He walked past the two girls to the door and pulled it open. There on the doorstep were Hinata, Neji, Shino, Kiba, and great big white dog.

Naruto's face was instantly pulled into a grin, although he was rather surprised.

The dog bounded in and started bouncing around the room. Finally, he jumped up onto the couch, put his front paws on the back, and howled.

"Ack! Stupid dog; get off my couch!" Naruto shouted, grabbing the dog's collar and trying to pull him off. Akamaru, however, wouldn't budge. "Damn it, Kiba! Get your dog under control!"

Kiba just leaned against the doorjamb and smirked. "Looks like he's doing fine on his own to me," he replied with a shrug.

"Damn it! I hate dogs!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing Akamaru around the waist and trying to pull him off that way.

Hinata sighed and headed over towards the couch. "You like Dango," she said softly and reached up to scratch Akamaru behind the ear. "Akamaru, would you mind getting off the couch please?"

The dog gave a soft woof and bounded over the back to the floor, sending Naruto flying back into the fireplace. He scowled at the dog as he got up. Akamaru snorted and lay down in the doorway next to Kiba's feet. "Yeah, but he's the correct size for a dog; one you can pick up and move."

"Dango?" Shino slipped past Kiba and stepped over the dog to get inside the house, followed by Neji.

Hinata smiled. "He was a dog that belonged to some of the people whom we trained under while we were away. He's a kind of dog from the Far West called a corgi. They're smaller than Akamaru."

"A corgi?" Kiba asked, surprised. "I've seen pictures of them in books, but no one I know of has seen a real one in years. They're funny-looking."

"HA! That's what I said!" Naruto exclaimed.

"They're not funny-looking; they're adorable!" Hinata protested. "Sora brought one back from the far west for Miki."

"Who are they?" Sakura asked, finally shaking herself out of her stupor.

"Miki and Sora? Umm, well…" Hinata bit her bottom lip as she tried to figure out where to begin. Tsunade had declassified everything but their fights with the Akatsuki so that they could tell their friends and family what happened, but there was still so much to tell.

Naruto decided to begin by diving into the deep end. "Sora's my sister. She used to be part of a team that killed crazy bastards in the West. However, her and her partner Yasu dropped out of the business about six years ago. Miki is Yasu's daughter."

"Sister?" Sakura said. "You don't have a sister!"

Naruto grinned and started digging through his bag. "Sure I do. Where the hell did it go?" he asked into the bag, practically diving into it. "Aha! Here it is!"

He walked over to Sakura and handed her a framed picture. Sakura blinked. Two faces, eyes covered in sunglasses, grinned twin maniacal grins out at her. They were standing close together and Naruto was making the victory sign, while the woman was apparently holding the camera. The sun glinted off their sunglasses and the large gold stud in her nose.

"That can't be your sister, she looks nothing like you. Her hair is burgundy!" Sakura said disbelieving, handing the picture off to Ino for inspection.

"Sora's hair color is apt to change at any moment, so that doesn't really count for much," Naruto said. "But I never said we were blood related; I just said she was my sister." He started to pull other things out of the bag, littering them on the couch.

"She's a former student of Hokage-sama's who took us to train for three years as a favor. In the end, Naruto and Sora adopted each other in a way," Hinata said, hoping that would hold them from asking more details. The relationship between Naruto and Sora was simple and complicated all at the same time. The secret of who his parents were and what they had been planning on doing were all wrapped up in how Naruto and Sora came to be siblings. But it boiled down to being brother and sister in the end.

"Really, she's Hokage-sama's ex-student?" Sakura asked. She looked back at the picture again. Tsunade had taken on an apprentice or two before Shizune, but Sakura had gotten the impression they hadn't stayed very long.

"Yeah, well, Nee-chan's not all that good at medical stuff. I mean, she's better than most, but not good enough that it made sense for her to stay apprenticed to Tsunade, so they were only together for three years," Naruto said. "Before that she had trained with the Kaze, and after that she started traveling with Yasu."

"And who are the Kaze?" Sakura asked.

Hinata sighed. "Maybe we should all sit down and start from the beginning."

"Yeah," Naruto said with a sheepish grin.

"Don't you think you should get dressed, Uzumaki-san?" Neji asked flatly.

Naruto looked down at himself and suddenly realized that he was still wearing just his drawstring pajama bottoms. Looking up, he noticed Hinata's face turning redder and redder. "Heh. Yeah, I probably should," he replied, grabbing his bag and running up the stairs to change. "Be right back!" he yelled back down.

Ino gave off a ladylike snort and looked at her watch. "Hmmm, it's almost lunchtime; we should get something to eat."

"We could go grab something and bring it back here," Sakura said.

"That would probably be best," Neji said.

"Are you sure?" Shino said. "Naruto hasn't had a chance to unpack yet, so perhaps it would be better to eat at a restaurant."

"I'm sorry, it's just that we got in so late last night, we haven't really had time-" Hinata stopped talking as soon as she realized that the others were looking at her funny. She stared at them, trying to figure out what she had said that was odd.

Fortunately, Naruto chose that moment to come running full force down the stairs. "All right! So what's up?"

"We're going to go get something to eat," Sakura said. "Since there's nothing to eat here."

"You can explain what the hell you've been doing for the last three years while we eat," Kiba added.

"We should probably pick up some supplies at the grocery store for you while we're out," Hinata said to Naruto.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's see what's in the kitchen," Naruto said suddenly, grabbing Hinata by the wrist and pulled her into the other room.

Sakura snorted and shook her head. "Only Naruto would think there might be something worth eating in the kitchen of a house that's been boarded up for years."

Ino narrowed her eyes and latched onto Sakura's arm, pulling her to the other side of the room close to the kitchen doorway. Peeking around the corner into the kitchen, she saw Naruto and Hinata standing and talking to each other in a language she didn't know.

She turned her back on them to look at Sakura. "Ask him out," she said.

"What?" Sakura asked, shocked.

"Forehead girl, stop being stupid and ask Naruto out! He's definitely date worthy and he was crazy about you before he left."

"I don't know…" Sakura's voice trailed off as Ino let out a howl of frustration.

"Give up on Sasuke. After all these years I would have thought that you would have grown up enough to move on!" Because Ino was Sakura's friend, and because she knew that even after all of these years Sakura was still in love with the dark-haired, dark-hearted boy, she didn't bash Sasuke the way so many others would have.

"Just because you gave up on him and fell in love with Shikamaru doesn't mean I have to. Besides, I'm not in love with him anymore; it was just a schoolgirl crush and I've moved on. I just don't want to date anyone right now and am tired of your incessant attempts to play matchmaker, Ino-pig!"

"But why not at least go out with Naruto?!"

"Because," Sakura said with a smirk, "he's kissing Hinata in the kitchen."

Ino started and looked behind her into the back corner of the kitchen. Sure enough, Naruto and Hinata were in each other's arms and softly kissing. There was something so tender about it that all ideas of putting Sakura and Naruto together flew out of her head. There was warmth radiating from the pair and a sense of tranquility that Ino had rarely seen in anyone, let alone the loud boy and nervous girl. It made her not want to disturb the pair.

Unfortunately, it did not have the same effect on Neji. He came striding across the living room and into the kitchen. Walking up to the couple, he grabbed Naruto by the collar and forcibly pulled him away from his cousin. Naruto, caught off guard, found himself thrown up against the kitchen cabinets with Neji in between him and Hinata.

"What the hell was that for?!" Naruto exclaimed.

Neji folded his arms across his chest. "What are your intentions towards my cousin?" he asked.

"What do you mean 'what are my intentions'?!" Naruto yelled back, advancing towards Neji.

Hinata quickly slipped between the pair. "Neji-nii-san, Naruto, please, stop it!" she said slightly desperately.

Both men tried to grab her at the same time. This resulted in Hinata getting pulled in two directions, then released, at which point she stumbled off to one side. Naruto managed to be a hairs-breath faster in grabbing Hinata, so in the ended she up at his side, arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. She sighed. At least he hadn't shoved her behind his back. She hated when he did that.

From the doorway, Sakura, Ino and Kiba boggled at the scene. Shino seemed to express mild interest from a few feet behind them.

Neji glared at the couple. "The two of you vanish for three years and suddenly come back a couple. As the one responsible for her protection, I am hardly out of line asking you what exactly you are planning to do with my cousin."

"Planning to do with her? One responsible for her protection? I'm not the one who put her in the fucking hospital!"

The dark haired man sucked his breath in between his teeth. "That was years ago and I apologized for it!"

"He did, Naruto!" Hinata agreed quickly, turning underneath his arm to lay her hand over his heart.

He looked down at her with a scowl and she smiled back. "I think Neji has changed in the last few years," she whispered quietly in western. "He's been very kind to me since we returned. Give him a chance."

The tension in his body eased slightly, and Naruto turned to face Neji again. "You apologized to her?" he asked.

Neji nodded.

"And now you want to be her protector? No more of that stupid "fate" crap?"

Again Neji nodded. Naruto snorted and looked him straight in the eye. "Well, you don't need to protect her from me," he said firmly.

"All right," Neji said and both men realized that was all they needed to say on the subject.

There was another knock on the door. Sakura turned and walked across the living room. From the kitchen, they heard the sound of door opening, followed by an enthusiastic cry. "Sakura! It is good to see you looking as beautiful as ever! Is it true that our two wayward friends have returned home?"

Sakura's voice was slightly strained as she answered. "Yes, Lee, they're in the kitchen."

There was the patter of feet across the floor and a large green blur slid into the room. Rock Lee had grown in the last few years and was now sporting a standard issue green vest, but the energy radiating from the young man had not changed.

"NARUTO!" Lee yelled, striding across the room to grasp Naruto's hand and shake it vigorously. Naruto swore he could feel the bones in his hand fracturing and was grateful for his healing abilities. "It is good to see you again, my friend. The power of youth has once again prevailed and your glorious return has been much heralded throughout our group, bonded together through the brotherhood of our first chuunin exam! We are thrilled to welcome you back and eager to hear of your trials and triumphs throughout your years away!"

Naruto gave a stilted laugh as he tried to extract his hand from Lee's grasp. "Good to see you too, Lee-san."

There was a large sigh from the doorway. Tenten was leaning up against the doorjamb, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Lee, we don't have time for this," she said, clearly having gone through this situation many times before.

"Ah, that's right! I am sorry, my friend, but we are going to have to save our catching up for a later time, as we have a mission we have to complete."

"A mission?" Neji asked.

"Yep," Tenten said, "we're supposed to leave within the hour. We're meeting Gai-sensei by the main gates in forty five minutes; estimated time away is five days."

"Humph," Neji said, turning to his cousin. "Hinata-sama, I'm afraid we will have to save your training for later."

She smiled sweetly back at him. "That's fine, Neji-nii-san. Be safe on your mission."

He nodded at her and turned to leave with the rest of his team. Lee slapped Naruto on the back. "We will return to the village in five days. Perhaps then we can get together and train!"

Naruto smiled and nodded. Training with Lee would be challenging to say the least, and he was interested in seeing how his taijutsu matched Lee's at this point.

Tenten waved as they left the kitchen. "Good to see you again, Naruto-san, Hinata-san."

They offered short waves back as the three left. No one said anything as the dust from the Lee tornado settled.

"Well," Naruto said, "are we going to go get something to eat?"

"How long have you two been together?" Ino asked, perturbed.

"Umm…about a year and a half I think," Naruto replied. Hinata nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us immediately?!" Ino yelled.

"We were trying to be discreet!" Naruto yelled back.

Hinata put her hand up to his chest. He looked down at her and instantly calmed down.

Ino arched an eyebrow at them.

"What?" Naruto asked, laying his arm across Hinata's shoulders.

Ino smirked. " Nothing. Well, we can go to lunch only if I come back so that I can get a tour of this house. I want to see what the rest of this place looks like." Ino said, crossing her arms.

He shrugged. "So we'll go get something to eat and then come back," Naruto said. Then his eyes began to sparkle. "Can we get ramen?" he asked.

Sakura smirked at Ino. "Lets go get ramen," she said.

"All Right! ICHIRAKU HERE WE COME!" Naruto yelled, grabbing Hinata's elbow and starting to pull her towards the door.

"What! But there are plenty of ramen stands closer!" Ino exclaimed.

"But they're not Ichiraku!" Naruto shouted back, helping Hinata with her coat. Hinata turned and smiled at the group.

"He's attached to the idea now; we're not going to be able to sway him," she said matter-of-factly.

Shino pushed his glasses father up his nose. "All right then, we should get started," he said, heading towards the door. Kiba shrugged and followed him, leaving the two young women with no alternative but to follow along.

**Jordan's Notes**: This is it... this is as far as Wren got... from this point on, it's all me. I'm a bit nervous. I've already completed a few chapters ahead and I'm pretty satisfied so far, but I suppose you'll get to judge that for yourself here soon. My writing style is a bit more dense than DameWren's, but I think it'll work out. You'll find my writing is similar in style to J. K Rowling or Oroson Scott Card... probably closer to Rowling.

I've plotted out the story to the end of Twice Shy... I kind of like what I have, but an author is never really satisfied with what they got I suppose...

One last toast... (raises glass) DameWren, I wish you luck in your professional endeavors. God knows you write well enough to publish. :)

Oh, and just because, here's another couple of facts about me.

1. I prefer the "bitch drinks". (i.e. Smirnof Ice, Hard Lemonade, etc.) Although I _also_ enjoy shots of straight liquor.

2. I took four years of martial arts, studying under a sixth degree blackbelt in Kajukenbo.

3. I only ever competed in one martial arts tournament, in which I won the final match in my bracket, 14 to 2.

4. I hope that I'm married with a kid by the time I'm 25.

5. I won the parts for my current computer in a raffle at a 650 person LAN party, PDX LAN.

6. Since I was 4 years old, I've slept an average of about 4-6 hours a night, and can stay awake for about 36 hours before I begin to feel tired.

7. I competed in the regional Science Bowl all four years I was in high school, and was an All-Star in them three years.

8. I'm a pretty white white-guy. My grandmother was Sweedish, and I got her skin. I go straight to burned, no tanning.

9. In the spirit of being a really white white-guy, I have hairy legs, but not grotesquely so. Thankfully, all my other hair is where its supposed to be, and isn't where it isn't supposed to be. (i.e. I don't have much hair on my back or chest, and neither am I showing signs of balding.) Also a bit of a secret... I've thought from time to time about shaving or waxing my legs for hygene reasons. Still not sure on that one. (Perhaps a bit TMI?)

10. Despite the fact that I was 6' at the age for 13, (which means I only grew 3" my entire time in high school), I was so uncoordinated that I still couldn't really dominate in basketball. (On a related note, my last girlfriend whom I've hinted at a few times was Vietnamese and was 5'0"... making me a full 15" taller than her.)


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Leaving the house behind, the group started on their way across the village to where the blond ninja's favorite ramen stand was. As they proceeded, Sakura noticed that Naruto actually seemed to calm. She thought it strange… three years ago he would have gotten more frantic and impatient as he got close to the ramen stand.

"So how did this happen?" Sakura asked. Naruto glanced over at the pink haired shinobi. He had learned how to use his head over the last three years, but he had also learned how to not jump to conclusions.

"How did what happen?" Naruto watched as a befuddled look spread over Sakura's face.

"This," she replied, pointing between Hinata and Naruto. Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other, each trying to find the right response in the other's face.

"Yeah!" Kiba chimed in, a smirk on his face. "How did Naruto notice you when he was so obsessed with Sakura?" Hinata began to blush a bit at the implication that she was easy to look over, while both Naruto and Sakura shot dangerous glares at the boy in a parka.

"I was _not_ obsessed with Sakura-chan!" Naruto protested. "Besides…" his voice calmed down as he looked over at Hinata's blush. "Hina-chan understands me like no one else can…" Hinata glanced up at Naruto and he could see it in her eyes. She was uncertain. He had reassured her so many times that he loved her and felt nothing but friendship towards Sakura, but even so, facing it in person she still had that lingering vulnerability that both got Naruto's attention and caught him off guard whenever he saw it. Showing such vulnerability to someone was in Naruto's mind a sign of infinite trust, and so he felt a sudden obligation to mitigate her fears.

"Sakura-chan wouldn't be a good girlfriend for me. Hinata-chan is exactly what I need." Hinata smiled at him fondly. At some point they had learned how to convey feeling with simple looks. Maybe it had been all of the partner training; maybe it was simply the time together. But whatever it had been, right now Naruto's face was telling Hinata that in different company the last sentence would have been finished 'exactly what I want'.

Naruto suddenly realizing what he had said turned to brace for the inevitable wallop that Sakura was sending his way, only to find her looking oddly dejected as opposed to homicidal. The look confused him more than anything, but Ino could see what was playing out, and hastily changed the focus of the conversation back to what she was really interested in.

"So tell me Hinata…" Ino began, a Cheshire-like smile creeping across her face. She lowered her voice into almost a guttural whisper. "Is he any good?"

Hinata 'meep'ed in surprise at the question and turned an interesting shade of pink, while both Kiba and Naruto looked at Ino with some incredulity.

"W-we… haven't done anything… like that…" Hinata said softly so that everyone could barely hear.

"Hey hey! Stop teasing Hinata-chan!" Naruto said with a finality that seemed to stop Ino for just a moment from continuing. "Besides, lots of interesting things happened the last three years besides what me and Hinata did together!" Hinata blushed redder, but everyone noticed with some surprise that instead of retreating into a shell because of her embarrassment, she picked her head up and had a fond smile on her face, as if remembering something which was special to her.

"Ne, Naruto-kun…" Sakura began. Naruto turned to her, and saw that she still had an expression which didn't seem very Sakura-like on her face, almost as if Sakura was unsure of what to say. "What happened when you left the village?" Naruto pulled his hand up to his chin, thinking about how to answer. He was about to start his answer when Ichiraku came into view, and he bounded off happily, intent on getting his food before beginning the long story of their time away.

The rest of the group came up to stand moments behind him where he was already engaged in a happy conversation with Ayame and her father who seemed genuinely happy to see him back once more. They all smiled at the shop owner and placed their orders before turning back to Hinata and Naruto anticipating their story.

Once again they looked at each other as if having a conversation with their eyes before looking back at their friends. Naruto began with a carefulness of words and conversation that took the rest of them a bit off guard. In some part of their mind, each of them thought of Naruto as not being able to think about things in any sort of contemplative manner.

"When we left, Hinata-chan and me were forced to _walk_ to Onee-chan's house," Naruto began. Hinata smiled, thinking of the memory before correcting her boyfriend.

"Hinata-chan and _I_," she said gently. Naruto smiled.

"Ne, gomen Hina-chan." All four of the chuunin guffawed at Naruto as he continued his story.

"Anyway, like I was saying, Onee-chan wanted us to walk all the way to her house instead of running. It was frustrating at the time, but I can see what she was thinking," Naruto commented off handedly. Naruto had a better appreciation for his actions and words after three years with his sister, who acted more like him than he liked to admit.

"She brought us to a house built on the side of a mountain. The house was one of the biggest I had even seen… it was like a giant clan house almost. It was also very isolated, which made it perfect for the type of training that Onee-chan wanted to teach us. It was… frustrating though…"

Naruto thought back to the scroll of 100 techniques. It was in his pocket where he always kept it now.

"Onee-chan started us with some basic techniques designed to be basic test of chakra control and manipulation," Hinata offered. "Things like cleaning the floor or doing the dishes with chakra."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked quizzically. Hinata glanced at the counter which had a small bit of dirt on it from the day. She did the seals more out of habit than necessity and almost instantly a small pile of dirt collected at her hand, which she easily wiped off onto the ground. Ino was looking at the cleaned counter with intrigue on her face.

"It was so frustrating," Naruto said. "I wanted to train right away, and it didn't feel like cleaning floors was going to help at all." Naruto thought about the control and technique required for the Shino-Tsu-Hiko form and the Nine Principals. "But she was right of course… learning those 100 techniques helped us with the real training when it did come."

Hinata glanced up at Naruto with a look of mild wonder on her face. Even though she was sure he understood the reasons Sora had done the things she did, she'd never heard him acknowledge or admit it out loud. Naruto, it turns out, had understood for a long time but felt that he had to provide a counter-balance to Sora's ways. It was only when she was not there… when he was on his own… for some reason he didn't feel like he could go without admitting the things she had done right when she wasn't there to call him an idiot.

"After a few months we went down to visit Onee-chan's friend… Yasu…" All of the ninja there could sense the gloom that passed over the two at the thought of this new person, but none of them could decipher what it meant. Hinata shared another look with Naruto.

He was just about to continue his explanation, when Ichiraku came over with their bowls ready. "For my favorite customer," he said with a smile. Naruto grinned as he looked down into the bowl, seeing that the old man had put in extra meat and egg for him.

"Thank you, jii-san," Naruto said softly before looking back up at everyone emphatically. "It's great to be back!"

Everyone began to eat, and with great amusement, all four of their companions noticed that Hinata seemed to eat her ramen without the same shy reserve, while Naruto refrained from making a public scene out of his meal. 'They really are good for each other,' Sakura thought with a bit of guilt.

"You were just telling us about coming off the mountain?" Ino probed, hoping to hear more about their adventures. Naruto seemed to beam at her, the melancholy of first saying Yasu's name seeming to dissipate.

"Ah, right!" Naruto took a bite before continuing. "Whee cam uff tha muntan—" his sentence was cut short by a look of disapproval that Hinata was giving him.

"Sweetie," she said softly, "don't talk with your mouth full." He smiled sheepishly, swallowing his food.

"Sorry." He smiled again turning to the rest of the group who looked on a bit dumbfounded. "Anyway, like I was saying, we came off the mountain to visit Yasu and her husband…" he paused thoughtfully before continuing. "Onee-chan had been training us in a taijustsu form she had learned from her time in the west with the Kaze clan. Hinata had been learning the Shina-To-Be form while I had been learning the Shino-Tsu-Hiko form. She'd been able to teach both us because the forms are similar in the basics, but she'd only been trained in the Shina-To-Be form, so we had to visit Nori, Yasu's husband if I was going to learn more about the Shino-Tsu-Hiko form.

"As it turns out, Nori was kind of a prince of the Kaze clan, but he'd left when his mother had died because he hadn't wanted to lead. With that in mind, he was hesitant to teach me or Hinata at first, but it didn't take much to convince him to teach us. In fact, by the end of the day he'd suggested that me and Hinata become partners."

Hinata watched the others carefully, unsure of how they'd take that statement. Partner training was a very serious and heartfelt decision, but they didn't know that. Still… 'partners' was a moniker that lent itself to quite a bit of interpretation. Hinata thought back to how Sora had described it as "being married without the sex". Hinata blushed as, unbidden, she thought that perhaps their partnership might include that little caveat at some point.

"What do you mean by partners?" Kiba asked with just a tinge of nervousness in his voice. Naruto looked at Hinata and noticed her slight blush. Undoubtedly she was thinking about the type of commitment that partnering entailed. Naruto hadn't forgotten Sora's crass description of partnering either.

"Well, you see the Shina-To-Be and Shino-Tsu-Hiko forms are complementary, and in the Kaze clan they had taken to 'partnering' two fighters together and training them to fight as a single unit. To play off each other's strengths, make up for each other's weaknesses, and know what the other was going to do before they did it.

"Because of the styles, Shina-To-Be is a woman's form, while Shino-Tsu-Hiko was taught to the men. So for Nori, it made a lot of sense."

"And did you partner?" Ino asked with a hint of excitement in her voice. This was almost too juicy for her… it almost sounded like marriage to her… minus the sex. Naruto glanced at Hinata, but it was her that answered.

"Yes, we trained as partners." Hinata paused for a minute. "It turned out to be a very good thing once we went into the West."

"WHAT!?" the four burst at once. Sakura looked at the startled Hinata incredulously. "You went into the West!?" Hinata shrugged, unsure of what exactly was so surprising about this piece of information. Tsunade had reacted the same way, and although before leaving Hinata had been told that the West was full of chaos and should be avoided, she didn't understand how it was such an astonishing thing.

"Onee-chan took us there for some real experience," Naruto explained matter-of-factly. "We didn't get very far though. You see… the Kaze clan was not too happy with Onee-chan, Yasu-san or Nori-san. When Nori-san and Onee-chan had left, the clan head had just been killed and a new leader who was… less than concerned about the clan or its members was vying for power.

"We weren't in the west for more than a few minutes before a few Kaze warriors tried to apprehend Onee-chan. We of course beat them, but then a bunch of their fellow clan members showed up, including a younger girl named Shivani, and tried to beat us up. When they figured out just how powerful we were, two of them grabbed some kids and threatened to kill them if we didn't agree to come with them."

Everyone scoffed in disgust, and for the first time in a while Shino spoke. "Doing such a thing is a sign of weakness. Both as a fighter and as a person." Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but there wasn't much we could do, so we went. The new ruler of the Kaze clan, known as the Lady of the Wind, or simply the Lady, had poisoned the mind of the clan. She'd convinced them that ninjutsu and genjutsu would pollute their purity if used, and so the Kaze used taijutsu exclusively.

"The Lady wanted to execute us at first, but some of the people on her council were sensible. Particularly a man named Raoul. So the Lady agreed to a test that she thought we wouldn't be able to pass… we tested for our blacks. It's the Kaze equivalent of the chuunin exam, except the Lady had turned it into something terrible.

"The first part was simply demonstrating the forms of the Shina-To-Be and Shino-Tsu-Hiko forms, but the second part was a fight to the death." The four ninja all had a sharp intake of breath. "The Kaze thought that Nori was dead, so the Lady thought that we would fail during the forms since Onee-chan hadn't learned all of the forms before she left.

"But when we completed the forms, she had arranged for us to fight two Kaze warriors." Naruto looked over at Hinata, silently asking her to tell this part. She nodded and picked up where he left off.

"One of them was a boy named Toril, who was loyal to her. But the other was Shivani." The faces of everyone listening softened. "Shivani was a good person. She'd come to us the night before and told us what was going to happen… kind of…" Hinata paused. "She thought we were there to overthrow the Lady and restore the clan… so she'd decided to throw the match and let us kill her." Naruto nodded solemnly.

"It was worse though. Raoul was her brother. Fortunately, Hinata is the smartest girl I know, and she'd figured all of this out the night before!" He gave her an affectionate hug as a mild blush spread over her face. "Because of that we'd been able to come up with a plan. We'd fight the pair, and Hinata would try and cut off the chakra flow to everywhere except Shivani's brain, making her appear dead. It would be extremely difficult since they wouldn't let Hinata-chan use her bloodline limit." Sakura looked at him disbelievingly.

"You made Hinata try to shut off the girl's chakra that precisely without her being able to use the Byakuugan!?" Naruto put his hands up in defense.

"What else could we do?" Naruto paused for a moment. "Unfortunately, Toril was a much better fighter than we'd anticipated, and we were having trouble separating Shivani from him. You see, when one partner is killed, the other is expected to kill themselves to preserve their honor." Naruto looked at Hinata, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. Should he mention using intention? Hinata silently shook her head.

The others watched this exchange, wondering what they were thinking. Naruto turned back to them before continuing. "Fortunately, it turned out that Nori-san was an excellent teacher, and I was more proficient in Shino-Tsu-Hiko than he was. Unfortunately, the Lady had decided not to take any chances, and had genjutsu users sitting on the towers overlooking the arena, trying to mess us up."

"But I thought that she thought ninjutsu and genjutsu were heresy?" Kiba said confused. Naruto shook his head.

"No, that's what she _said_, but all she really thought about was power, and ninjutsu was just another type of power. In the end, the genjutsu almost messed Hinata up enough to accidentally kill Shivani, but like I said… Hina-chan's the most talented girl I know!"

Sakura had been listening intently. She watched as Hinata blushed slightly once more and turned to look up at Naruto fondly. Naruto returned a warm look… almost loving. Could they… love each other? Sakura had been feeling jealous of the attention Naruto was paying Hinata since they'd seen him, and now she found herself jealous of all of the praise and admiration he gave her. She even felt jealous about the time that they'd spent together.

But feeling that way had also brought on a heavy dose of guilt. So what that Naruto had finally realized Hinata liked him? So what that they were apparently head-over-heals now? It's not like she liked him, right? … Right?

Sakura shook the thoughts as Naruto continued his tale.

"In the end, Toril knew about the genjutsu and betrayed the Lady. Everyone was unhappy with the Lady, but they seemed to be waiting for someone to do something about it. I told them all that they were being stupid, and that if they wanted something they should do it themselves. Right as the Lady was about to retaliate, one of the towers collapsed on her.

"Raoul became the new Lord of the Wind and began to try to rebuild the clan. We stayed with them for about a year or so before beginning on our way back to our mountain. On the way though… things went wrong…" Naruto stopped.

The look on the now tall boy's face startled Sakura and Ino. Naruto seemed to be very troubled by the events that took place next. They couldn't recall ever seeing him look so… powerless.

"We were on our way back when we were ambushed by two members of the Akatsuki," Hinata began, drawing their attention off the troubled shinobi. "We hadn't been expecting them, and because of the surprise attack it took us a lot to defeat them. In the end, we were only able to defeat one. The other didn't want to fight us, and left his partner to die.

"We discovered however that Itachi was going to try and kill Yasu and Nori." Hinata stopped. She didn't look flustered in the same way she normally did… or at least the way she normally did _before_ she left. No, Hinata looked much like Naruto looked; troubled… powerless.

"Nori and Yasu have the nicest little girl," Naruto said a bit jerkily. All four of the shinobi were floored at Naruto's manner. The way he'd said that… it sounded as if he were holding back tears, and yet it was said lovingly. "Her name's Miki. She's a natural at Shina-To-Be, and she loves her little dog." He turned to his ramen and concentrated on the food, a tear or two silently sliding down his face. Hinata, much more accustom to showing her emotion, decided to spare Naruto the scrutiny that continuing his explanation would bring.

"We can't tell you about the fight itself. Hokage-sama has it classified." Hinata paused and sniffed, wiping her face. "But by the end of it… N-Nori-sama… w-was dead." Hinata hung her head. If only she had been stronger, maybe he wouldn't have had to die. No… she wasn't allowed to think like that. She looked back up at the group who clearly had no idea what to say to that.

"We escaped to our house in the mountains, and trained for the five months left on our mission," Hinata finished quietly. Sakura and Ino looked at each other. They felt as if they should say something to brighten the mood a bit.

"Well we're certainly happy to have you back," Ino said gently. Naruto looked up, his face dry, but his eyes still slightly red. He smiled.

"We're glad to be back! Right, Hina-chan?" Hinata wiped her tears away before nodding with a smile.

"Right." The six friends finished their ramen discussing how Konoha had changed since the beginning of Naruto and Hinata's training mission three years ago.

"So where's the teme?" Naruto asked playfully as they began the walk back to Naruto's house. At once the faces of Sakura, Ino, Kiba and Shino fell. Naruto's smile faded. This wouldn't be good news.

"He's gone," Sakura said simply, if not timidly. "He left."

"Did… he get a long mission?" Naruto asked hopefully. Ino slowly shook her head as Sakura simply looked at the ground in front of them as they walked.

"No," Ino said simply. "He defected." Naruto and Hinata looked at Ino in silent shock, before glancing over at Sakura.

"Why?" Naruto finally asked. Sakura closed her eyes.

"Because of Itachi." Naruto felt a darkness in the explanation. How could one wayward ninja harm so many people in so many ways? For a fleeting moment Naruto's thoughts went to how much hurt he could cause should the Kyuubi ever gain control. He shuddered.

"Sasuke left to train with Orochimaru. He wanted to become powerful enough to beat his brother… to avenge his clan." Sakura's words became uneven. "He left… even though he knew that Orochimaru intended to use his body."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. "How would he use Sasuke-kun's body?" Sakura shook slightly and Naruto could tell she was sobbing. It was a moment before she answered.

"Orochimaru… has an immortality technique. It works by allowing him to occupy another person's body. More or less, he removes their soul from the body, and then puts his own in its place."

Naruto processed what he was told with silent fury. Orochimaru. He'd forgotten all about _him_. Vaguely Naruto wondered if there could possibly be anyone else intent on making his life difficult.

"Y-You mean… Sasuke-kun… is…" Hinata trailed off, refusing to finish her own thought. Sakura slowly shook her head, and relief washed over Hinata and Naruto.

"Orochimaru can only perform the technique every so often." A smile so dark that it actually made Naruto shiver crossed Sakura's face. "Not even _his_ broken and dirtied soul can withstand that much strain."

"Then… how long do we have until Orochimaru will be able… be able to use it?" Sakura looked at Naruto briefly then looked back at the ground in front of them.

"We don't know for sure… our best estimates say that the earliest would be about six months from now." A heavy silence overcame the group for a few minutes as they continued on toward the house, entering the neighborhood it was in.

"We'll get him," Naruto said. Sakura looked up at him in a mixture of admiration and hope. Naruto had not spoken with confidence, he had spoken with resolve, and somehow that had given Sakura more hope that he would succeed. "We'll bring that teme back."

Hinata looked up at Naruto and examined his expression before nodding. "We'll do our best," she said. The group looked up as the approached the old house of the Fourth, and collectively heaved a sigh, as if shrugging past the last few years with a breath.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Tsunade let out a sigh of her own as she looked between the papers in front of her. The reports came in from everywhere, and often conflicted with one another, which only made her work more annoying. Some days as she read over all the paperwork she seriously wondered why she'd taken up the position of Hokage… but such wondering was always short-lived. Especially when she saw the younger shinobi around the village.

Tsunade grinned. She'd been roped into this position by Naruto and his will to be his best. The last few years had been lacking without his usual tenacity and confidence, but she was glad to see him back. Especially after what Sora evidently risked, she observed curtly. Naruto had changed a lot… and pleasantly, so had Hinata.

Hinata… she seemed to be able to trust her own ability now. At least reasonably so. She'd do well in the Jounin exam. Tsunade looked over the reports once more before stacking and stamping them. Of course, Hinata's ability to perform would no doubt lead to confrontation with Hiashi now… that man… that was a conversation she wasn't looking forward to. Tsunade's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Hokage-sama, Hyuuga Hiashi is here for an audience." Tsunade scoffed in annoyance. Figures.

"Send him in." The door opened moments later and Hiashi swept swiftly into the room, bowing briefly before taking the seat in front of Tsunade's desk. "What can I do for you, Hiashi-san?" Hiashi paused for a moment._Very_ few people in this town called him anything other than Hiashi-sama.

"I have come to inform you that Hinata will not be taking the Jounin exam." Hiashi's tone was polite but firm. Tsunade observed amusedly that he'd managed to phrase it as a statement instead of a request without sounding out-of-place. He was certainly a master of the politics.

"Was she injured on her way to the Hyuuga house last night?" Tsunade asked in mock concern. Since they were putting up with formality and all, she figured why not feign ignorance.

"Fortunately nothing as drastic as that is to blame," Hiashi explained. "She is simply not ready." Tsunade raised a brow.

"Oh?" She took a sip of the sake on her desk. Sake has a bitter flavor that bites you after it's gone down, and because of that younger people always seemed to sip on something else. It was an elder's drink, for the most part, despite all of the other things she did to hide her age.

"Hinata is not prepared to pass the Jounin selection exam, and as her father, I came to inform you that she would not be able to participate after learning of the news." Tsunade was silent for a moment, contemplating how to continue.

"How is it that you know she is not ready? It's my understanding that she's been away for three years training." Tsunade paused again for effect. "It would seem to me that Hinata would be the best judge of whether or not she was ready." Hiashi visibly tensed at the mention of Hinata's absence.

"As I was neither consulted nor informed about her training mission prior to its commencement, I am painfully aware of how little anyone in the Leaf knows about my daughter's current ability." Hiashi glared at the Hokage. He had not been very happy upon learning of his daughter's departure. "However I refuse to let her shameful display of ability, or lack-thereof, tarnish the Hyuuga house once more."

"Hinata has spent three years training with one of the most talented shinobi I know of. She is more than equipped to enter into the Jounin selection exam." Hiashi grated his teeth.

"Three years training spent learning _another_ form, from a shinobi who has no connection to the Leaf and took them into the West!" Hiashi brought his brows together. "Hinata is not prepared to face her sister, let alone the Jounin selection exam."

"How can you possibly purport to know Hinata's capability when you know nothing of her training, or the things she has done in the last three years?" Tsunade closed her eyes. This banter was starting to get on her nerves. "The Jounin _selection_ exam is designed to _select_ those shinobi which are prepared to become Jounin. If she is as far back as you claim she will never make it to the practical exam."

"That is unacceptable," Hiashi said simply, yet heatedly. "I will not have Hinata bringing shame to our clan again like she did during the Chuunin exam." Tsunade glared angrily at the man.

"Is that all you care about? Shame and the clan? Does any of your objection have anything to do with _Hinata_?" That was it. Hiashi stood abruptly and slammed his hands on the desk.

"You accuse me of not caring for my own child?! You understand _nothing_ about our family or our clan! I do not wish to see her shame herself… do you think that _that_ means nothing!?"

Tsunade stopped at that. She hadn't thought about that… in his own way, Hiashi thought he was indeed caring for his daughter.

"Well then why don't we compromise? We'll hold a private match for Hinata before the Jounin selection matches to determine if she is ready to fight in front of the elders." Hiashi picked his hands off of the desk and stood for a moment, pondering her suggestion. He returned to his seat slowly and calmly.

"She will face Hanabi." Tsunade threw a wary look at him.

"Don't you think--?" But Hiashi interrupted her before she could finish objecting.

"You send her away for three years without consulting me. She trains in a form other than the Jyuuken. You place her in the Jounin exam without my consent or input. Will you deny me the simple matter of choosing her opponent?" Tsunade was miffed at the rebuff. She'd been worried that Hanabi was too far below Hinata to provide a good test, but if Hiashi was set on it…

"Very well," Tsunade affirmed. "I'll make the arrangements." Hiashi stood, bowed, and moved quickly out the door. Tsunade smirked. Judging from everything she knew about Hinata's training and mission, Hanabi wouldn't know what hit her.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto let out a heavy sigh. For some reason he felt that his day spent lounging around his house talking with old friends had been more exhausting than many of his days spent training. It's not that he felt exerted… rather he felt stretched, as if the day had been very, very long.

But the day wasn't over yet, he observed glancing out the window at the orange sky. It would be dark in about an hour or so.

"What's on your mind?" Hinata asked him softly from the kitchen doorway. She'd insisted on making a meal for them to enjoy after everyone had left and they'd finished cleaning the house, a task made much easier with the techniques they'd had to learn from the scroll.

"The day…" Naruto replied offhandedly. "It feels strange to be home." Hinata nodded in agreement, turning back to the kitchen. Naruto could smell something savory being cooked.

"I know what you mean," she called from inside the room. Naruto walked over to the doorway and watched her move around, making something bound to be delicious. She was his Hinata, after all. "Seeing everyone today… it's been such a long time since they've been any part of our lives, you know?"

"Did you get to talk to your sister?" Hinata smiled faintly.

"I think she's grown a bit. She doesn't seem as… haughty… as high-and-mighty as she used to."

Hinata placed a lid on the pot, looking up at Naruto. His breath caught for just a moment. The way her head turned up slowly, the look in her eyes; the sort of exasperated love she wore on her face… for a moment she almost looked, and felt, like his wife. It was a thought Naruto wasn't sure if he was scared or happy for. She did look very beautiful… though he thought she always did.

"I think that Neji might have something to do with her change in attitude," she remarked thoughtfully. "I don't think he's been coaching her very much… but I get the impression that Neji has changed a lot of his outlook on his own nindo after the Chuunin exam, and Hanabi's noticed it." She giggled. "I think you and me had a pretty big impact on him." Naruto got a wide smile.

"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed. "I always leave a big impression on people!" He offered a goofy grin which only made Hinata giggle more, and they spent the rest of the evening together, enjoying their meal. Naruto was happy for the chance to not be alone for now, but tomorrow... Tomorrow, he'd train.

**Jordan's Notes**: Any feedback would be appreciated. This isn't a great chapter to judge how things will flow in my version of the sequel because of the things I had to cover in this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it none-the-less.

I'd originally written this chapter but forgot to save, and my computer got nixed. That set me back to just before the Tsunade conversation… so I had to write everything from there a second time. I'm not sure if it's better or worse than the first time though.

A big "thank you" goes out to _Spirit of the Abyss_ (or simply Seth) for beta reading this chapter, as well as Sora-chan, (honestly), for betaing also. These two are the editors, and they do their job splendidly. :)

I know everyone is used to chapters coming out every other day at this point, but I'm not nearly that quick at getting chapters out. I go through an entire review process when I write, so it takes me at least a week to get a chapter done. Still, I won't stop on you guys.

Here's a few more facts about me that you might enjoy.

1. I have only ever been to one other country besides the United States: Japan. (Haven't even been to Canada.)

2. When I was 19, I snuck in to a bar with a friend from England while we were in San Francisco. The place was hosting a networking event, and I was invited as a journalist. Long story short, we got in by using British accents.

3. I used to write a ton of poetry, of which almost NONE of it I can stand.

4. I love watching NBA basketball, and adore my home team, the Trail Blazers.

5. My last girlfriend and I dated for over two years. Originally, as I mentioned, we met at night school, and I first got her interested in me (inadvertantly) by giving my English class a verbose interpretation of Edgar Allen Poe's _The Conquerer Worm_.

6. Despite the fact that every standardized test I've taken since age 6 has put me in the 99th percentile, my GPA in high school was a meager 2.6.

7. My friends and I have an 8 year old inside joke, where "viscosity" is the answer to any question which we don't know. This inside joke comes from a practice session of Science Bowl in high school, where one question which we didn't know the answer to was read, and at random, we answered viscosity as the time ran out, which turned out to be correct, giving us the points to win by chance.

8. Back in early 2002, me and another person I know started on a project which was basically identical to MySpace, named "ThoughtGalaxy". Sadly, neither him nor me had the drive to really work at it, and to this day I shake my fist at Tom. He certainly isn't _my_ friend...

9. I participated in an Air Force auxilliary program from age 13 to age 16, called the Civil Air Patrol. I reached the rank of Cadet Master Sergeant, and piloted a Cesna 182.

10. If I could change one thing about my life, it would be the mistake I made with my last girlfriend which led me to where we are now. We both deserved better...

I think this will be the last time I give you "10 random facts about Jordan", unless you guys really want me to keep going.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Only one of you?" the faceless figure asked in what seemed almost an amused tone. "I wasn't surprised when Nadare returned alone, but what could make you return empty handed and without your partner… Itachi?" Itachi's eyes remained steady… they were always steady… he stared back at the man mocking him, his eyes both vicious and unconcerned.

"The Kyuubi." He said no more. What else needed to be said?

"The Jinchuuriki is progressing much faster than we'd expected," noted another figure. "Perhaps we should move our timeline up." It was said like a statement, but everyone there knew it was a question.

"Yes," said yet another figure at the table. "That is exactly what we will do. Konoha cannot be allowed to gain a fully trained Jinchuuriki… our plans depend on it."

**:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:**

Naruto breathed in deeply, the cold air refreshing and yet shocking as it filled his lungs… it felt almost palpable, as if he could put it in a jar. He loved the morning air. Opening his eyes he saw the window he'd left open last night. It was his way of ensuring he was up early without the bad mood that an alarm put you in. The sun looked like it had been up for perhaps half an hour… perfect. 

He rolled off the couch slowly, yawning as he scratched his head. He hadn't felt up to sleeping in the rooms again, but the couch was pretty comfy. It was too much space though, he thought wistfully. He'd never felt so alone as he did at nights in this house… even when no one had been there to acknowledge him, and he'd been living on his own, he hadn't felt this lonely. 

Perhaps it was that he knew what real acknowledgement and real companionship… real _love_ felt like, he pondered as he began to brush his teeth. But such a beautiful morning made it impossible for him to feel dejected, and for that he was thankful. After grabbing some miso for a quick breakfast and getting dressed, he left the house for his old training ground. If he was going to take the Jounin exam, he was going to be ready.

**:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:**

Hinata had been up for about an hour sorting through the things she'd brought with her. She'd looked them over for a few moments that night she'd returned, but hadn't really had the chance to go over them and decide what to do about it all.

She smiled faintly as she pulled out the very first pair of hair sticks that Naruto had bought her. For some reason, they still seemed the most precious to her. Standing, she pulled her hair back, wrapping it around into a proper bun before securing it with the sticks. Glancing over at the mirror she faintly thought that she enjoyed her hair like this as much as he did, before returning the rest of her things to their places, and heading out the door.

Neji was on a mission, and so her training in the Jyuuken form could not proceed for at least a few more days. But that was no excuse for her to not practice at all. She pulled one of the familiar doors open, stepping out into a training court yard the Hyuuga compound boasted.

She'd start with the breathing exercises.

Hinata closed her eyes and slowed her breath, focusing on the sound of the air slipping past her lips. In her mind she pictured a single candle burning brightly, zeroing in on the flame as it leapt to-and-fro. It was a type of meditation training designed to prepare her for the focus that the Shina-To-Be form required during practice.

Because of the nature of the exercise, she was never quite sure exactly how long she had her eyes closed. She was only really aware of when it was right to open them and begin her work-out, and that point was a feeling that was difficult for her to describe. She could no sooner tell you how she was able to taste the difference between strawberry and banana.

Purposefully she bowed then launched into a quick series of acrobatic maneuvers. She had been practicing the Shina-To-Be form for nearly two and a half years now, and she finally felt graceful in its sweeping, connected blows.

The form relied on grace and speed; on the ability to move the bulk of your body quickly by keeping your center of gravity relatively stationary. To an observer though, it appeared as if your body was making one, long fluid motion from the beginning of your strikes until you stopped; as if every single blow you landed was actually part of a single, larger move… which was not entirely untrue.

Hinata paused, focusing her chakra. She wasn't even breathing heavily yet.

"Wow," a small voice exclaimed for the doorway. Hinata turned to see her sister looking on in… admiration? The older girl smiled, as Hanabi strode over slowly. "That was… is that what you've been training this entire time?" 

"Yes," Hinata replied, nodding her head.

"Do you still strike the chakra points with the form?" Hinata nodded again.

"Yes. It's called the Shina-To-Be form, but I've changed it to work with the Jyuuken." She paused for a moment. "I'm the only person that practices the exact form I do." It was something Naruto had readily pointed out with pride before, but rarely did she admit it. 

"It…" Hanabi trailed off, and for a moment Hinata saw a flicker of recognition, then guilt in her eyes. "It's very impressive," she finished simply. 

"Yes, I remember when Sora first demonstrated the form for me… I was impressed as well." Hinata looked over at the practice mat that was so familiar. "When I continue my training in the Jyuuken form I hope to combine them further to better suit my fighting style." She looked back to see Hanabi staring at her in mild shock. Had she said something wrong? Hanabi glanced around quickly.

"Don't let father hear you say that… he… is intent on you giving up your new form." She could tell that Hanabi wanted to say more, but what it was, she couldn't put a finger on. Hinata sighed.

"I expect father will be hearing many things from me soon that he would rather not hear…" Hanabi looked up at her sister in wonder. She really had changed.

"I must be getting to my morning exercises," Hanabi said softly, almost mumbling. Hinata smiled. Hanabi had always been more gifted at the Jyuuken than she was, but in many ways she saw a lot of herself, both her old self and her new self, in the younger girl.

"Good luck," Hinata told her with a smile as she walked out the door. Hanabi had grown up a little while she'd been gone. She was no longer as arrogant or headstrong as Hinata remembered. She seemed more… self-aware almost.

The Hyuuga heir practiced her form for another hour and a half before stopping to get some breakfast. She wanted to see if she could spend any time practicing partner training with Naruto.

**:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:**

The man sat in a tree overlooking a familiar clearing. In it stood a blond 16-year-old who now towered over most of his peers at six feet. The man watched as Naruto practiced a form he hadn't seen before. The punches and kicks came fluidly and swiftly, and Naruto seemed to move with a precision that was rather astounding. Such technique was not the result of sheer determination; it was the result of skill and hard work. Good to know that he had it in him.

Suddenly, the blond ninja stopped. He turned to the stump in the center of the clearing and closed his eyes, forming a series of seals. The man watched intently as Naruto placed his hands on his stomach and murmured something. Those hand seals… Naruto had just performed some kind of sealing technique. Was he… restricting the Kyuubi in some way?

The man breathed shallow breaths, and Naruto closed his eyes, evening his own breathing. For a few moments it seemed as if Naruto had gone into a meditative trance of some kind, but with no warning Naruto's eyes burst open, and he shot forward at the stump, the strikes coming furiously and frantically. Something was different about the technique… it seemed more purposed and less technical.

"Oh?" the man said to himself softly. It certainly seemed as though Naruto had benefitted from his training mission. He looked on as Naruto stopped, drawing in several breaths, before walking back to the center of the clearing. The body language… he was favoring one side… it was how you would prepare for ambush from an area near where the man was stationed if you were an amateur. 

He smiled beneath his mask. Naruto was sending him a message… he knew he'd been watched, and he knew where he was being watched from. Just as well… he wouldn't expect anything less from Konoha's number one most unpredictable ninja…

Naruto, for his part, was beginning to get annoyed by the man in the tree. Honestly, did _anyone_ really think that they could hide from him like_that_? It was almost an insult to his ability as a ninja.

"Why don't you just come down here?" Naruto called out. There was a little movement from the tree, and moments later Naruto a lazy-looking Kakashi stood in front of him, his single uncovered eye peering at Naruto from beneath his half closed eyelid. 

Naruto's thought process jerked for a moment. Seeing Kakashi brought several memories back to him at once, foremost his parents. He'd known… Kakashi had known the whole time and said nothing. Naruto glared at the Copy Ninja for a moment. He wasn't exactly angry at Kakashi… in fact Naruto wasn't sure how he felt about seeing his old Sensei. He settled on forcing the focus on to someone other than himself.

"I hear your prized student ran off," Naruto observed as if giving a weather report. Kakashi's face didn't change at all, but he was very surprised by the remark. It had almost seemed… cutting. Sora must have told him.

"I made a promise," Kakashi said. Naruto just stared at him. "To your father." Naruto's glared for a moment before looking away. "He made me promise… that you wouldn't find out from me." Kakashi stared at Naruto's averted gaze for a few more moments. "He didn't want you to be consumed by thoughts of everything you lost." Naruto slowly looked back to his old instructor.

"My mother never would have wanted that," he spat out much more venomously than he'd intended. Kakashi looked up at the sky and sighed.

"No, I don't suppose she would have." He listened as a bird flying overhead let out a pleasant chirp. "That's probably why your father loved her so much." He looked back at Naruto, who wasn't looking at him with quite the anger he had before. "Just like he loved you." 

They stared at each other for a few moments, both wearing almost imperceptible expressions, (though Kakashi tended to look that way often due to his mask). Naruto stared down Kakashi as if he was challenging the older ninja to give an admission of some kind of guilt. But what little bits of expression Kakashi had on his face told Naruto that he was simply being honest; he'd been bound by a promise to his teacher… Naruto's father…

"Onee-chan won't be very understanding," Naruto told him, a tacit signal that he didn't hold it against the White Fang. Kakashi closed his eyes and heaved a sigh that Naruto wasn't expecting. Almost as if it actually bothered him that Sora would be so angry.

"I expect so." Kakashi looked back up at Naruto. "I hear you'll be in the Jounin exam?" Naruto smirked, telling the shinobi all he needed to know. "Well… do you think you can face me?" Kakashi had one hand in his pocket and the other grabbing his chin, his only visible eyebrow raised. Naruto grinned at the challenge. He honestly didn't know the answer, but given the opportunity he was anxious to find out.

Naruto launched at the Jounin with no warning, striking out. The masked ninja jumped backward, blocking the punches the Naruto began to fling. Naruto grinned and moved his hand in a yanking motion. Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Wait… there was a string in Naruto's hand! Glancing behind him he just barely saw the kunai on its path towards him.

Twisting around, Kakashi jump out of the way, avoiding the blade by the slimmest of margins. When had Naruto set any traps? What was he…?

Naruto raised his hand to his face in a familiar seal, and Kakashi looked behind him as he soared through the air, unable to change his trajectory. There was a tag on the branch he was about to land on.

"Kai!" The explosion kicked a giant cloud of dust into the air, and Naruto landed on the ground lightly, looking on at his handy work. Dusting off his hands he smiled and closed his eyes.

"Too bad it was a clone, or I _really_ would have had you, eh Kakashi-sensei?" The tree behind the blond shinobi rustled, and Kakashi fell gracefully from the branch, his single eyebrow raised.

"Underneath the underneath," Kakashi muttered as if to himself. His eyes and mask suddenly turned up in a smile. "Good work Naruto, you have gotten much better." Naruto pointed at himself grinning like a fool.

"Of course I've gotten better! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and one day I'm going to be Hokage!" Kakashi stared at the somewhat self-righteous pose Naruto was striking with a certain calm. _At least some things haven't changed…_

"Naruto-kun," a soft voice called out from across the clearing. They both turned to see Hinata standing in her training outfit. "Would you like to train for a while?" Naruto grinned.

"Of course Hina-chan! Training with you always makes me stronger!" Hinata smiled at Naruto, and for the first time noticed Kakashi standing stoically next to the object of her affection. Naruto looked at Kakashi noticing the look of something on Hinata's face. She almost seemed… resentful? Maybe… maybe she was upset with Kakashi for the secret he held from Naruto? He smiled. She cared about others so much; it seemed like exactly the sort of thing she might do.

"Well, I have to go see the Hokage," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "I'll see both of you later." With a puff of smoke Kakashi disappeared, leaving the two teens to themselves. Hinata still had a slightly sour look on her face, and Naruto walked over to her with a smile, brushing one of the stray hairs not in the bun behind her ear. 

The touch brought a blush to her face, and the sour look melted off her face replaced by a calm complacency. She smiled up at Naruto who was staring at her with the intense look his blue eyes always seemed to carry.

"How was your morning?" Naruto asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His face was now inches from hers. 

"Fine," she uttered breathlessly. They hadn't really had much physical contact since returning to Konoha, not even the night before as they'd been too tired and busy to spend that much time appreciating each other's company. She felt her lips part as her eyes fluttered closed.

Naruto pressed forward the last inch or so and scooped her mouth up in his lips, eliciting a sound from Hinata that he found incredibly sexy. Her lips always seemed so soft, and he never tired of kissing her. It was even better now that they didn't have to worry about Sora popping out and making some snide comment while snapping a photograph.

He moved his hands up Hinata's back, enjoying the smooth curve of her body, unconsciously pushing her closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled away slowly. Savoring tender moments was something that was still particularly foreign to him, and although he could appreciate the feeling that such times brought, he still felt a bit out of his element.

"How'd you sleep?" Hinata asked softly, still reveling a bit in the intimate contact. Naruto frowned.

"Alright I guess," he answered half-heartedly. She stared at him with genuine concern and he sighed. He never could fool her. "The house is lonely," he elaborated quietly. He turned to look away, not wanting to look her in the eye. Insecurity, as he had thought earlier, is a sign of infinite trust when you show it, and Naruto still felt uneasy about trusting someone so much.

But Hinata was not clueless. On the contrary, she knew a lot about the things that Naruto felt, whether he said them or not, and she wrapped her arms around him gently from behind, burying her head into his back grasping tightly. Naruto smiled. He knew he could count on his Hina-chan.

Moments passed… Naruto wasn't sure exactly how many. He turned around and looked into Hinata's eyes as she let go of his torso.

"Gomen… Hina-chan…" Hinata smiled at him fondly, and he found himself being drawn to her. It was a feeling he was still a bit unfamiliar with, though he didn't fight it like he used to. Naruto slowly dipped his head, touching his lips to hers, feeling how soft and warm they felt.

"Hina—oh!" Naruto broke away quickly and looked up to see who had been calling his girlfriend. There stood Hanabi, looking properly startled and embarrassed. Hinata blushed furiously turning to her sister.

"Um… father… wants to speak with you." Hinata nodded in acknowledgement. "I think… the way he was talking during this morning's training… I think he's going to have us fight, Onee-chan." Hinata looked startled; not just by the revelation that her father might arrange a fight between her and her sister, but also that her sister had called her "onee-chan". It showed that Hanabi respected her ability now, at least as an equal. Respect was something Hinata was not used to.

"Right," Hinata said faintly before turning back to Naruto. He looked thoroughly worried.

"Hina-chan, this is exactly what we were trying to avoid," he began. "We should have worked harder to keep everything quiet… We weren't very good at it though. Neji spotted it the moment he met us." Hinata shook her head.

"This isn't about you, Naruto-kun. Don't put this on yourself." She turned and looked at her sister who was still waiting, staring at them with a guilty look on her face. "We're both strong, and my father underrates us both I think." She turned back to Naruto smiling. "Don't worry… if that is what my father wants, it won't happen tonight." 

Naruto visibly relaxed, sighing in release. He smiled faintly at her, nodding.

"Alright... I'm going back to my house for the evening to practice calligraphy." He looked her straight in the eyes, grabbing her shoulders. "Let me know, alright?" She nodded, confidence returning to her face. Naruto gave her so much strength…

**Jordan's Notes**: I apologize that this chapter took so long. My sister had my first nephew last Sunday, and I started a new job almost exactly two weeks ago, so… but I got it done quicker than I would have imagined with my sister in the hospital.

I really enjoy writing this story. I don't particularly like this chapter though, but oh well. Let me know what you think, and I'm sorry this took so long. The next chapter should be quite exciting. Will Hinata stand up to her father? If so, how? What will Hanabi do or say? Has Naruto really forgiven Kakashi, or was his explanation unsatisfactory? Well… we'll find out, won't we. (And I do so apologize for how short this chapter is...)

_NOTE:_ Sorry to my beta's… this one got posted without their feedback. I wasn't able to finish this in a timely manner due to the whole nephew-being-born thing, and I didn't feel like depriving readers of the next chapter any longer. Rest assured Seth, Sora, I'll be sending you chapter 6 for lots of feedback.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Naruto felt old. He had returned to his house to find a summons from Old Lady Tsunade, and he carefully read it before reacting. Nee-chan had taught him, perhaps, a modicum of patience.

"What does Baa-chan want now?" he wondered out loud, stowing the note.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata approached the rice paper door with trepidation. Now was when she was going to prove to herself who she was. Had she changed at all and learned to be confident in her self, or was it all a sad dream that existed only in Naruto's presence? Was she who she thought she was, or had Naruto simply made her that way?

Head bowed, she slid the door to the right, entering the room and closing the door before looking up at her father. Hiashi sat stiffly. Actually, Hinata thought, he did everything stiffly. To his right and left were the Eldest and the Head of the Side Branch respectively.

She walked evenly to the small cushion in front of the three and sat on her knees, as was proper in their company.

"Hyuuga Hinata," Hiashi started, "you have been summoned here because the Hokage feels you should test to be a Jounin." _Ah, so that's what prompted all of this._

"As you know, the clan's honor is paramount for every Hyuuga. Especially those of the Main Branch. That is why I wanted to ensure, before you attempted the Jounin exam that you would not... repeat your performance during the Chuunin exams." Hinata winced internally, but showed no outward signs of emotion to her father. She waited silently, meeting his gaze, for him to continue.

"To this end, we have decided that you shall fight Hyuuga Hanabi in a private match which will be attended by the entire Hyuuga clan and the Hokage." At this, Hinata could not restrain her reaction entirely. She was surprised, and a bit upset. He was placing her in front of the whole clan to see if she would get unnerved.

"It has also been decided that this match shall determine a point of constant trouble in your... absence..." Hinata didn't like where this was going. "The winner of this match shall be the true heir to the Hyuuga clan."

Hinata's eyes went wide. Her father was going to commit one of them to the Side Branch. Not someday, but now. An internal conflict began within her immediately. She had no desire to become a Side Branch member, nor to let down her clan and her father. But her father had just placed her in a very cruel position. She was required to either send her sister to the Side Branch, or forever become a servant herself.

She wasn't certain which was the worse outcome.

"As you wish... father." She said it shakily, and after a nod from Hiashi, rose to leave the room, her head spinning. This wasn't at all what she had been expecting. One of them was always going to be committed to the Side Branch. And though it was most often the younger sibling, that wasn't always the case. Somewhere in her mind, Hinata felt like she could understand her sister's resentment a little better. It had never occurred to her that she was the reason for her sister's probable fate.

Heading to her room, she realized something: her father was forcing Hanabi to hate her. In her father's mind, if Hinata truly was the heir of the clan, then she should be the one to send her sister to the Side Branch. It was a superiority thing to him, she knew.

But no... he certainly didn't think that she could defeat her sister. Then what her father was really trying to do was put her in her place. Punish her, once and for all.

These sorts of events always occurred a week after they were announced. She had seven days to contemplate and mull the future of her and her sister. It was six and a half days too long...

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Uzumaki Naruto, reporting, baa-chan." Tsunade looked up and scoffed. Why had he gone through the trouble of reporting like a normal ninja if he was going to call her "baa-chan"?

"As a chuunin, you have certain responsibilities, Naruto." He rolled his eyes at "the R word" Tsunade noticed. "One of these responsibilities is leadership. You have four months until the initial Jounin matches. Over that time you will spend some of each day training your leadership abilities to match that of a Jounin."

"Alright! I'm going to lead my own missions! Woo hoo!" Naruto jumped up and down in excitement.

"Ah, not exactly." Tsunade grinned mischievously as she pulled out a crisp document. "You are going to teach for the first two months, Naruto. We have an opening at the Academy which needs filling, and you will be the one to fill it." Naruto groaned loudly.

"I'm gonna be teaching a bunch of little twerps at the Academy?! But that's a waste of my time! How will I be able to train myself while I'm teaching!?"

"You won't. That's the point. You're not training your ninja abilities with this assignment, Naruto. You are training your leadership abilities." Naruto complained loudly, but Tsunade held up a hand until he quieted. "Aren't you even curious what you'll be teaching?" He stopped and considered that for a moment. He was kind of curious what she had felt he could teach.

"I guess."

"You will be teaching about the West. Culture, people, and...." she paused for effect. "Fighting style." Naruto perked up. Was she saying what he thought she was?

"Are you... talking about the Shino-Tsu-Hiko?" Tsunade nodded.

"That is precisely what I am talking about. You spend three years learning it yourself. I do not expect that we will be able to come remotely close to duplicating your training quality or experience, however I feel that exposing our young soon-to-be Genin to various fighting styles, particularly those as unique as that of the Kaze, will help them."

"But what about those who are naturally more inclined to the Shina-To-Be? I only know half of the art, and not nearly as well as... Nori..." he trailed off.

"A problem I have already considered and solved. Hinata will teach the class with you, and you will give a brief overview of both forms, and partner training." Naruto looked significantly more keen to teach "the twerps" now. "There are some things to remember however.

"First, you may not teach the class expecting the students to become at all proficient in the forms. This is more for them to think about than to truly practice. Nor may you actually teach them partner fighting.

"Second, after the class is over, and this assignment is finished, you may, if you wish, teach willing students to better understand the forms. But only after, and only if it does not interfere with your other duties.

"Third, at some point I would like you to instruct some fellow chuunin and jounin in these forms. This will most likely come after you have completed your Jounin Exam.

"Fourth, I think it goes without saying that given this assignment, you are to practice and refine your proficiency in this art continuously. If it is not already part of your daily training regimen, it is now.

"Finally... Naruto, you may not even try to teach any of the Nine Principal, nor may you attempt to teach intention." Naruto was silent. He wasn't considered the brightest among his peers, but he wasn't an idiot. He had been expecting the last condition.

"May I teach them _of_ the Nine Principals?" Tsunade stared into his eyes for a few moments.

"If that is all you do." Naruto looked around the office, then back at his orders.

"When do I start?" Tsunade smiled.

"You will start immediately after Hinata is finished with her duties to the Hyuuga. It should be about a week or so. In the mean time, I expect you to create a lesson plan." Tsunade smirked. "With Hinata's help of course." Naruto looked visibly relieved. He didn't even know where to start with teaching... he'd taught himself a lot, but how to explain it to others...

"Anything else, baa-chan?" Tsunade glared at him for a moment.

"Yes. I am still expecting the full mission summary. I will be waiting for that at the end of the week as well." Naruto nodded, rose, and proceeded out the door without so much as looking back.

_Hiashi will not be pleased_, she thought. _He wanted Hinata to abandon the Shina-To-Be... and now she will teach it._

Tsunade smiled. Oh, the wonders of being Hokage.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

The next few days were busy for Naruto. Hinata told him about Hiashi's proposal, and had to hold Naruto back from going to give Hiashi a piece of his mind. Needless to say, neither were pleased with the situation.

They decided to get the mission report out of the way first, and after a short while, Naruto suggested that he work on it himself.

"Hina-chan, I have no idea how to do a lesson plan, but I know how to do a mission report... why don't I take care of the report, and you can write the lesson plan, then when we're done we can each look over both to make sure we haven't missed anything." Hinata nodded and set to work. It was the sort of logical, reasoned thinking that many in the Leaf didn't think Naruto capable of.

But Hinata knew the truth was that he simply felt it unnecessary to reason something. If he knew it was right, it didn't matter to him _how_ he knew, and he had never felt that it should matter much to anyone else either.

With two days until the match with Hanabi, they were finished with both documents, and Naruto was expressing concern about how Hinata would fare in the fight.

"Hina-chan, you haven't seen your sister in three years. Who knows how far she's progressed." Hinata simply shook her head. Strangely, she had no doubt.

"No, I am not worried about being unable to beat her," she told him. "I just... I don't know if I can send her to the Side Branch... you don't understand what it means. I'm sentencing her to give up her dreams and aspirations." Naruto frowned.

"But what about you? You'd have to give up everything too..." He grumbled. "When I'm Hokage this is the first thing I'm changing..." Hinata smiled.

"Naruto, even as the Hokage there's nothing you could do to change this... it hasn't been changed for hundreds of years." Suddenly she sat up. "But maybe things don't have to change!" Naruto looked at her confused as she smiled widely and cuddled down onto the couch with him.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

It was today. The day. Hinata rose confidently. She couldn't afford any doubt today. Besides, she wanted to be convincing. She wanted to show her father how wrong he was.

Hinata combed her hair slowly, running her hands through it, loving the feel. She was different now. She wasn't the same person that left. Truthfully, she felt more self-confidence now, having returned to the village than at the end of their mission. Somehow, coming home to face all the reason's she'd had low self-confidence only served to make her more sure of herself. She could feel herself changing, becoming a different person. A person more worthy of Naruto... and more worthy of herself.

She would not start this morning with forms and a workout. As was tradition within the Hyuuga clan, she would spend the morning meditating. At noon, the match would begin. And she was intent on making the outcome undeniable.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto rose before the sun, nervous. He wasn't able to eat much, his stomach just didn't feel like it. He didn't doubt Hinata's abilities. Not even for a second. It was her father that made him uneasy. Hiashi wasn't trustworthy to him. All of the qualities that life had taught him were dishonorable and dangerous he saw in that man.

Who was to say that Hiashi would play fair.

He decided that the only thing he could possibly do to get his mind off of the afternoon would be to train. Hard.

Grabbing his training outfit, he headed out. Ramen sounded like the only thing he could eat right now... the perfect start to the day.

"Itarashyaimase!" Ayame shouted out happily. "It's Naruto father!"

"Oh?" the old man came over to great his favorite customer. "Heard that your Hinata has a big day today." Naruto grinned maniacally.

"She sure does! She's gonna be amazing today!" The older man smiled.

"What can I get you?"

"One pork, ojii-san." The man tipped his hat and headed to the back to prepare the order.

"Hey, Naruto!" He turned his head and immediately broke out into smiles.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto ran over and gave the man a hug, but he didn't jump on him or hang on him as he had in the past. Naruto was far too big to do that.

"I heard you're going to be a teacher at the Academy for a while!" Naruto smiled confidently.

"Yeah! And I'm gonna be teaching about what I learned while I was gone with Hina-chan." Iruka smiled fondly at his former student as they both sat down back at the counter.

"Are you going to be watching today?" Naruto nodded. For a closed match, everyone seemed to know what was going on.

"Tsunade-baa-chan is going to bring me with her to make sure I get in." He gave Iruka a thumbs up.

"Do you think she's going to do well?" Naruto nodded emphatically.

"I know she will."

As Naruto ate and spoke with his former sensei, the morning lengthened, and as Naruto trained after, it wasn't long before he made his way back home to get ready for the match.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

_I will make Naruto proud._ Hinata thought to herself. _I will show father how he is wrong. I will show the whole clan how they are wrong, just as me and Naruto showed the Kaze._

"Hinata-sama," a servant beckoned. She looked at the man. He had the caged-bird seal on his forehead. He could not fly free. "The match is about to start. This way please."

She rose, her long traditional clothing falling loosely around her. Underneath she wore her fighting outfit.

Hinata followed the man slowly to the arena. For the first time in her life, Hinata felt absolute confidence. She didn't want to defeat her sister, she was _going_ to.

The servant stopped at a pair of double doors and bowed. She turned and thanked him, then slowly opened the doors, walking through with her head held high.

The Hyuuga estate had a rather large arena, but it was rarely used. For traditions sake, it was never used for practice or sparring, and thus had very little utility to the every day. Now though, it had hundreds inside. Nearly all were Hyuuga, though some were other people of importance.

She searched the crowd, looking... there. She saw Naruto waving and smiling, and allowed herself a faint smile before steeling her face and proceeding to the center of the arena. Removing her traditional garbs, she handed the clothing to another servant as she stood in her spot, waiting for her sister.

By tradition, the opponents always entered the arena oldest to youngest, no matter their stature.

Hanabi came in looking every bit as confident. She certainly had more practice with it, Hinata thought to herself. Hanabi took her place, handing her traditional clothing to the servant, then looking her sister in the eye. They stared at each other, unblinking, as their father rose to speak.

Hinata searched for something, some hint, in her sister's eyes, but her father had trained Hanabi well. Hinata saw nothing.

"Fellow Hyuuga and distinguished guests, I present to you the future of the Hyuuga clan.

"Today we shall determine which of my daughters shall lead this clan honorably, and confidently as the heir of their father's position. The match will proceed until one is no longer able to fight." Hiashi was silent for a moment before turning to his daughters. "May you fight with honor and dignity befitting your place in this clan."

Hiashi sat in his seat, and the arena was deathly silent as the referee cam out between them.

"Hinata-sama, are you ready?" Hinata nodded promptly and curtly.

"Hanabi-sama, are you ready?" Hanabi nodded as well, her eyes never leaving that of her sister's.

"Very well. Begin."

Immediately Hanabi and Hinata activated their Byaakugan, rushing towards each other in a flash. Hanabi sent several graceful strikes at her sister, but Hinata easily parried them, sweeping her sister's legs out from under her.

Hanabi fell backward, spring-boarding off her hands and back on to her feet. Hinata took her stance... the ready stance of the Shina-To-Be, and stared at her sister.

A quiet murmur began to go around the crowd. They all knew Hinata had been away, but for a Hyuuga to compete in this arena and not fight in the Jyuuken stance was absolutely unheard of. Hiashi looked as if he had a lemon in his mouth. Hanabi smirked.

"So brazen. No wonder father wants to make me heir." Hanabi rushed forward once more, kicking high to force Hinata to duck. She threw her body weight around and quickly jumped behind her sister, striking to her torso, intent on incapacitating her immediately. But when her palm got there, Hinata was gone.

Hanabi continued in one motion and rolled to the side as her sister came from right next to her, hands flowing and striking in a manner that was foreign to her. It was even more impressive than it had been while Hinata practiced, though it was hard for Hanabi to appreciate it as she tried to avoid the blows.

Hanabi disengaged, staring at her sister.

"Very well." Hinata watched as her sister began a process she had only seen a Hyuuga go through a few times in her life.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"What's happening?" Naruto asked Tsunade quietly.

"Hanabi is about to use the Spirit Kaigi Jutsu." Tsunade said softly... she had only seen it once. "The Hyuuga know that the Jyuuken is not enough to defeat some enemies, and developed the Spirit Kaigi Jutsu as a way to defeat the toughest opponents. I had no idea Hiashi had been teaching it to Hanabi."

"How does it work?" Tsunade turned to the blond-haired boy.

"The Jyuuken works by combining the Byaakugan with a fluid form of taijutsu to close the chakra points of an opponent. The Spirit Kaigi Jutsu works on the same principal, except in envelops the entire body in a layer of chakra by giving the user very precise control over the Eight Gates."

"You mean like with Lee and the Lotus?" Tsunade shook her head.

"No. The Primary Lotus works by forcing open the gates and flooding your body with chakra. The Spirit Kaigi Jutsu allows you to _control_ the gates, which lets you move faster, or fight stronger, or be smoother. It can even allow you to heal faster, it all depends on which gate you open, how much, and where you direct the chakra.

"It requires an extraordinary amount of control and discipline. It is also only taught to the main branch." Naruto's eyes went wide.

"But they don't know if Hanabi will be in the Main Branch yet!" Tsunade gave him a look.

"Clearly, Hiashi never intended for Hinata to be the heir. As soon as she left I'm sure he dismissed her as a possible heir and began training her sister." Naruto glared at the back of the man's head.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata was shocked at first. This was a statement by itself. Hiashi had chosen who he wanted to be the heir, and the proof was right in front of everyone. The mere fact that Hanabi was using this technique told everyone that not only did Hiashi choose Hanabi to succeed him, but he had so little faith in Hinata that he had not even waited for any sort of official confirmation.

She glanced at her father. He was staring at Hanabi with such a large amount of pride and respect. He didn't even glance at Hinata for a moment. To him, she didn't exist. That was the statement this made.

The old Hinata would have broken right there. It was such a slap in the face, that she actually faulted for a moment, not sure if this entire thing was simply a charade. Did her life have no meaning?

That was when she caught Naruto's eye. He was just the opposite. He was staring with pride and affection at her. He didn't glance for even a moment at Hanabi. No, her life had meaning, and she was going to prove it.

She turned back to Hanabi. Her sister was done preparing... her eyes no longer had pupils, they were simply white.

"What do you think, Hinata? Quite impressive, isn't it?" Hinata closed her eyes and summoned up all the chakra she possessed. She'd never done this in a fight, and she wasn't going to take and chances. She gathered her chakra, all of it, and pleasantly found that she had more power than she thought.

She took her chakra and placed it in her center, curling it, swirling it into a tight ball. More chakra, curling tighter.

Ten breaths breaths then focus on the goal.

Hanabi stared at her, almost curious.

Set your intention. I'm going to overpower her. I'm going to completely dominate this match until she can fight no more, and leave no doubt.

Choose your principal.

Power. She was going to become and exude power.

Unwind it and go.

Hinata exploded from where she stood, and her sister, stricken with shock, almost was hit by her initial onslaught. Hanabi called upon The Gate of Opening and directed the chakra to her legs and arms, concentrating so that she could move fast enough to block and parry the blows coming from Hinata.

From the sidelines everyone was in complete confusion. What was happening? Hanabi had been about to unleash the clan's ultimate technique, and Hinata had suddenly... changed. Tsunade looked at Naruto questioningly.

"What is that?" Naruto looked on in pride. Hanabi was now blocking each of the blows, but could not get off any attacks of her own.

"That," he said fondly, "is Intention. Judging by her strikes she chose the principal of Power." Tsunade turned back to the fight.

"I see."

Hinata meanwhile was in a blur. She could feel the chakra, and surrendered her actions to it. The energy coursed throughout her body, and she stared at her sister, determination rising. She was going to close Hanabi's chakra points, and then it would be over.

Hanabi felt it first on her arms. She sent chakra so that she could parry and block, but her arms were becoming less and less responsive. Hinata was closing her chakra points.

After seconds, she could no longer use her left arm. Unable to stop the torrent of blows, the loss of her arm was more or less the end of the fight, as Hinata swiftly closed all Hanabi's chakra points on her body, leaving her helpless to fight back.

Hinata stepped back as Hanabi collapsed on to the floor. She looked at her little sister before closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath. The crowd could almost see the power itself ripple off of Hinata as she let the chakra unwind completely, and let go of her intention.

"Winner, Hyuuga Hinata," the servant declared. Hinata walked to the center of the room, as was customary, but the room remained deathly silent. She bowed to the crowd.

"I hope I have made you proud, father." Hiashi looked like he was completely dumbfounded. He nodded faintly to Hinata, before turning to the servant.

"Take... Hanabi... to have the Caged-Bird Seal applied..." He didn't say it with any sort of confidence or conviction. It sounded as if he was in a dream-like state.

"No, father." Everyone in the room turned to Hinata. Hiashi regained his composure and looked livid that Hinata would contradict him in front of the entire clan. "As has been the tradition in our clan for many years, the Caged-Bird Seal is applied once an heir takes their seat, not when an heir is chosen. With due respect to your ever wise judgment, I put forth that Hanabi should be treated as all other non-heirs before her: caged only once I take my place."

There was a loud mumbling among the crowd as they realized she spoke the truth. Hiashi looked at once relieved and furious.

"You speak wisdom, my daughter," he said purposefully. "As I would expect of the heir of the clan." He said it with such cutting quality that it came as no compliment. "Take Hanabi to treat her injuries. This match is over."

**Author's Notes:** Alright... so... chapter six... it's only been about nine months.

Honestly I'm sorry. I love writing. It's one of the few things in this world that truly bring joy into my life.

Unfortunately it isn't something that brings food into my life.

For the last nine months I've been working very hard because I've been having some problems paying the bills and putting food on my table. What kind of problems? The kind where I only eat twice a day, where I drink lots of water to make my stomach think it's full, etc. Ramen, sadly, is not as good as Naruto thinks it is when instant.

Why do I tell you? Certainly not because I'm looking for pity. Everyone has things that go wrong. Lots of people have problems with bills and such. I tell you because you deserve to know why I haven't been writing.

If I ever stop, if I ever go without updating, it isn't because I've lost interest in the story, or because I don't feel like writing any more, it's because I can't. It's because my mind is simply too preoccupied to sit down and create something coherent and worth of your reading.

Things were much simpler when I wasn't an adult.

Anyway, all my whining aside, I would very much appreciate it if you told me what you thought of this chapter. It really makes the effort worth it to know that your writing doesn't go unappreciated.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Hinata collapsed into Naruto's arms, as they fell onto his couch. Following the match, Hinata had acted the part, being every bit the heir she was. It was grating, tiring, and nerve-racking. It didn't feel like who she was... she knew how to be that person, but it wasn't the same as being that person. They'd left at the first chance, and gone straight to Naruto's house. Hinata was drained.

"Are you alright, Hina-chan?" She curled up in his arms. It felt as if the world was pressing in on her, and Naruto's arms were stopping it.

"Yeah," she said faintly. Naruto frowned, though Hinata couldn't see his face in her current position, slowly stroking her hair.

It was difficult for him to understand what she was feeling. They'd gotten to see a lot of clan dynamics up close with the Kaze, and it was certainly an enlightening experience, but it was something else entirely to have that expectation and that weight on your own shoulders. Naruto could certainly grasp what it was like to be expected to fail, but to have each failure count for so much for so many... it was a difficult thing to get.

But Naruto didn't have to understand the feeling to know that Hinata was in fact not fine. He felt a certain comfort being with her that he hadn't felt in his life before their trip, and with it came a sort of understanding.

"Hina-chan... tell me what's wrong..." Hinata sank further into his arms, hoping the bad feelings would just go away.

"It's so hard," she said softly, "going out there and doing your best, knowing that it means nothing to all the people watching. A lot of people are expected to fail... but to have the things you do succeed at mean nothing... it hurts."

Naruto nodded, not knowing how to respond. So he just held her, his arms wrapped around her protectively, as if he himself was going to keep the bad feelings away. Hinata, for her part, felt that that's exactly what he did.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Yasu, Miki needs you." Sora was miffed to say the least. Yasu was getting better, much better. She was eating regularly, doing things other than staring off into the distance, and had even begun training once more. Yet every so often she slipped into a sort of shell, wherein she was once again helpless to perform even the most simple tasks.

And it was a tad annoying.

"Miki's hungry, and she won't shut up!" Sora loved Miki... she just didn't like the way she acted sometimes. She ran her hands through her hair as she waited for Yasu to respond... they were spikes now. Bright blond spikes.

Yasu looked out the window as if she hadn't heard a word Sora had said, then after a few moments seemed to return, and faced her old friend.

"Sorry... memories..." Sora bit her tongue as Yasu walked past to go help her daughter, and sighed. This was becoming a very taxing situation.

Not only was living in her own house becoming a very stressful thing, but she actually found herself longing to return to Konoha of all places. A place she'd swore she'd never willingly stay again.

Just thinking about the village brought up thoughts about Kakashi, and her... parents... The only people she really considered her parents.

It was funny the way life turned out. The very things she'd run away from were the things she wanted desperately to run towards now, and yet as fate would have it, she couldn't. At least not yet.

Walking into the library, Sora pulled down a scroll. It was a very special scroll for her. On it was all of the work and research that she'd done on her own for Naruto. He didn't know about it... she'd never told him... but she was determined to help him overcome the obstacle that was keeping that demon in check.

Naruto was determined to become Hokage, and if he was going to, he was going to have to find a way to make sure that he could control the demon chakra and still defeat powerful opponents. And right now, that was something he just couldn't do.

_Baka-san... I'll help you reach your dreams..._

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

The next day felt much better for Hinata. She was the heir, for good, and she had proven her worth to herself, her father and her people. Yes, the world had realigned itself it seemed.

"Hinata-sama." She turned to look at the speaker, her face falling as she saw Hanabi, head bowed, in a long traditional robe. Hanabi had called her by name... she was acting like a servant.

"Hanabi... I will not let you treat me as if you're a servant. One day father won't be head of the clan, and when that day comes I will be very upset if you act like anything but my sister." Hanabi looked up at her vacantly, then smiled slightly.

"Hai... Onee-chan..." Hanabi paused for a moment, remembering why she'd come. "Father wishes to see you." Hinata rolled her eyes, rising to head off and see what was going on. "Nee-chan..." Hinata stopped and looked at her sister, still standing in the doorway. She looked unsure. "I'm... sorry... for the things I said... during the match." Hinata shook her head.

"There is nothing to forgive."

Hanabi moved out of the way as Hinata whisked out of the room, walking purposefully to see her father. She hadn't spoken to him since the match, and if she was honest with herself, it hadn't been long enough. Sliding the door softly, she entered to find Neji and Hiashi sitting. Waiting.

"Please sit, my daughter." Hinata didn't like the way he said that. It was far too warm and soft. She took her seat as requested and waited for him to begin.

"Congratulations on your success yesterday." Hinata bowed her head quickly.

"Thank you father."

"It was a fine display of your talents." Hinata bowed again, knowing that this couldn't be why he summoned her. "I was, however, sorely disappointed at how weak you looked during the match yesterday. Your sister was clearly the superior." Hinata stared at her father, furious. He was baiting her...

"I do not understand father."

"That I believe." Hinata ignored the slight. "You see, Hinata, your sister fought well, and showed what a true warrior of the Hyuuga can achieve, even so young as she is. Yet you... you showed only that a few cheap tricks taught by others can confuse and corrupt even the most talented of us." Hinata's mouth gaped. Even she had not expected her father to take it this far.

"Perhaps the Jyuuken should be trick-proof," she said evenly. Neji looked at her with wide eyes, clearly amazed at what she'd said. Her father looked at her sourly; he was not amused.

"Indeed." He paused and glared at her for a moment. "Neji here believes that the fight was not proper however, and has requested to fight you himself. To show that the Jyuuken and its perfection are _not_ something to be ignored." Hinata glanced at Neji, though his face was inscrutable.

"I see," she said.

"I whole heartedly agree, and thinking on the matter felt that it was foolish to decide the heir based on a performance such as yours where the Jyuuken is completely ignored." Hinata didn't like where this was going. "So you shall fight Neji. One month from now. And should he defeat you, I shall consider your performance against your sister corrupted. She will take your place."

Hinata was stunned. He was desperate for her to fail. For some reason, he seemed very highly invested in Hanabi's success, and her own failure.

"As you wish... father..." Hinata rose and quietly left the room. She had another match; another test. And this was not a test she was sure she could pass. Behind her the door opened again, and Neji emerged, looking ruffled.

"You scum," she spat at him. He stopped, completely dumbfounded that Hinata would say such a thing. To be honest, she was surprised at her own nerve, but the truth was that she could think of no other word to describe what Neji had done. "I hope you're happy."

"You misunderstand," Neji said defensively. He looked around, then quickly pulled Hinata away, toward a more empty part of the compound. "Your father... lies..." Hinata didn't know what to think of that. Making such a plain accusation of Hiashi was something Neji surely would not do lightly. "I had no such desire to fight you."

"Then what of what he said?"

"It... was a fabrication of the circumstances. Hiashi came to me." Hinata could see where this was going. "He demanded that I fight you. He said... he said it was for the good of the clan that I do so... that I was the most talented user of the Jyuuken the clan had seen in a generation." Neji lowered his head slowly, staring off into nothing.

"I must admit, the compliment was quite amazing. I had never hoped to receive such praise from Hiashi. Yet... by now I know that Hiashi does not know how to give an honest compliment." He looked back at Hinata, placing a hand on her shoulder. "For him, they are mere tools with which to motivate and reward people that do his bidding. And so I continued to refuse."

"Then why?" Neji looked down again, and his eyes began to water. Hinata was startled.

"He... he threatened... to use it..." Hinata was confused, until Neji reached up, and slowly removed his Hitai-ite. The Caged-Bird Seal. "Please forgive me, Hinata-sama. You have no idea the suffering this mark means."

"I understand," she said softly.

"I will not be able to hold back," Neji told her, retying his cloth. "Hiashi will be able to tell if I give anything less than my full effort. You will have to be better than me." Hinata's eyes dropped.

"I do not think that is possible." Neji smiled.

"You are stronger than you believe." She looked up and smiled weakly.

"Perhaps."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata put her hair up and grabbed the papers. The talk with her father was still on her mind, but she was going to have to move past it for now. Her and Naruto were teaching their first class today.

The students they were going to teach, they had discovered, would be testing for their Hitai-ite in two months. None of the material they were going to cover would help them pass, but it was important all the same.

She left the Hyuuga compound caught up in her own thoughts, automatically traveling to Naruto's house. Within minutes, she found herself at his door, as if by magic, and knocked lightly. There was a hustling behind the door, and she could hear Naruto shuffle quickly, probably cleaning up some of the mess around the place.

When the door opened, Naruto stood smiling. He was wearing a well cut brown tunic, below which he had a cream colored shirt. His pants were loose, and black, and he was wearing gloves to match. Hinata blushed... it looked very handsome on him.

"I'm almost ready to go, Hinata. Come on in." She closed the door behind her as Naruto dashed around the house, looking for something.

"What did you lose?" she asked him curiously.

"Ummm..." he looked at her sheepishly. "My, uh... my Hitai-ite." Hinata groaned, her face falling to her free hand. He was absolutely incorrigible.

"Naruto..." she said, more to herself than anything, as he dashed around the house frantically.

"Found it!" he called out from the living room. "It was next to the couch." Hinata rolled her eyes.

_Gee, imagine that... right next to where you sleep..._

He put on the leaf insignia quickly, pausing for a moment, then turned to face her.

"Ready!" he exclaimed. She smiled. His quirks were what made him so lovable.

They left promptly, already running a little late, and as they drew near to the Academy, Naruto began to think back. It seemed as if it was so long ago... had he really been trying to make a Bunshin here nearly four years ago?

The pair swiftly navigated the halls, and in moments found the room they were supposed to be teaching in. Naruto reached for the door.

"Naru–" Hinata was cut off, as Naruto opened the door, and a single, dirty eraser fell lightly onto his head, chalking his blond hair. The class burst into laughter, and Hinata smiled fondly, as Naruto looked around for the culprit before chuckling himself.

"You're late!" one of the students in the back called. Naruto got a sudden inspiration.

"Yeah, well, you see there was this tree, and it was stuck in a cat... no wait..."

"LIAR!" Naruto grinned. It was nostalgic for him.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, and one day I'm going to be Hokage!" He peered around the class, smirking. It looked as if there were maybe twenty students in the class.

"Umm... I'm Hyuuga Hinata." She glanced over at Naruto. He was just staring around the room. Rolling her eyes at him again, she walked over to the chalkboard and began to write.

"You will address us as Hinata-sensei and Naruto-sensei. Who can tell me what this class is about?" A few hands shot up as Naruto came back over by the chalkboard. Hinata pointed at one of the students. "Please state your name then give me an answer." The boy rose confidently. He had dusty brown hair, and a wicked looking smile.

"My name is Amenaka Daisuke and this class is about the West." He sat down. _Amenaka?_ Naruto thought to himself. _Where have I heard that before..._

"Right," Naruto said. "But the West is a big place, so we're going to focus a little more on the clan we know most about: the Kaze. The West itself is a very different place than here. There is a lot more lawlessness, yet in someways things have a more defined order to them.

"The Kaze are a fairly unique clan. They practice no Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. Or at least, they didn't."

"You mean like the Hyuuga?" a girl in the back asked. Naruto shook his head.

"No, the Kaze don't treat chakra the way we think about it. It is not something they mold and shape through conscious effort. Instead they use it by a process that is directly related to their fighting style."

"Yes," Hinata volunteered, "they do not think of chakra as being separate from the persons or the actions. To them, it is not something to be distinguished from say the skin."

"That's really confusing," a boy near the front said. "That would make fighting really hard." Naruto shrugged.

"Hey, if I can understand it, you can understand it."

Hinata and Naruto launched into a long lecture about the basic politics of the West, and the current beliefs on the Kaze. They had prepared the lesson well, and Naruto didn't feel lost at all. Having it all planned out, it was like anything else he practiced.

At the end of the class, Naruto handed out a sheet of paper with some text on it.

"This is your assignment. We want you to write up a short essay on three things about the West that we could adopt here to improve the East. Next time, we'll begin teaching about the Shino-Tsu-Hiko and Shina-To-Be fighting styles... the Taijutsu of the Kaze."

The students spilled out of the classroom, anxious to continue the day. Naruto walked over to the chalkboard of the now empty class and helped Hinata clean the board off.

"Alright. We did pretty good!" Naruto exclaimed. Hinata smiled.

"Yeah, I'm happy that it seems to be going well." She stared at Naruto for a moment. She still needed to tell him about Neji and her father. Naruto, perceptive to her moods, noticed her apprehension.

"What's the matter, Hina-chan?" She looked out the window. Things were a lot more complicated now than when she was in the Academy.

"My father is forcing me and Neji to fight."

"WHAT!?"

"He threatened Neji... I have to beat Neji in a match, or my father is going to reverse the outcome of my match with Hanabi." Naruto growled, clenching his fists. This was enough... he was going straight to that bastard and teaching him a lesson. Hinata placed a hand on his arm. "It's alright, Naruto-kun."

"How can you say it's alright!" Naruto shouted. There was the slightest hint of moisture at the corners of his eyes. "You don't deserve this..." He said it softly, almost to himself. Hinata hugged him, burying her face into his chest.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. That means a lot to me." They held each other for a while, neither quite sure how long, until finally Hinata pulled away slowly. "I'm just going to have to beat him." Naruto looked her in the eye, then nodded in approval.

"When are you supposed to fight him?" Naruto asked.

"One month." She smiled at him. The look on his face made her feel like anything was possible.

**Author's Note:** Wow. You guys are REALLY understanding. Not one. Not a _single_ review berating me for being nine months late on my last chapter. I must be writing for the best audience ever, because I _know_ my writing isn't good enough to get that kind of response.

Honestly I expected at least a few people were going to tear me apart for taking so long...

This chapter came MUCH easier. Now, I want to address a few things that were brought up. One reviewer posted a thought saying that DameWren had intended "Twice Shy" to be a mostly romantic story, whereas "Two Halves" had been a mostly adventure story.

Here's the part that's going to get me flames, but that people need to understand.

This is not DameWren's story. Wren gave the story away. She moved on to other things. She left it. From here, this is my story, for better or worse. I'm more than happy to hear suggestions... focusing much more on Naruto and Hinata's relationship _is_ something this story is going to do, but not because Wren planned it that way... rather, because _I_ planned it that way.

The reason I bring this up is simple: if you are reading this story expecting what Wren _would_ have written, you _will_ be disappointed. No, not because I'm being different for the sake of it. I could write twice as well as Wren, and it still wouldn't be the same story. I don't want my readers to be disappointed. So please, we all knew Wren. She was an amazing talent, and I don't claim to be any better than she. However, if you don't read this while getting to know _me_, the new author, the person getting the story out, you're always going to feel something is missing.

I'm not the same as Wren... I'm different. But different isn't bad, (necessarily). I want my work to stand on its merits. I don't want people to like it simply because it's part of a story that everyone thinks fondly of, I want them to like it because it's a _good_ story. And it won't be if everyone is reading and replying to Wren and not me.

(Again, I'm not upset with the reviewer that brought this up, it just brought the idea to my mind.) Anyway, this note is more than long enough, so go ahead and review, and let me know what you think.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"That's right, Hina-chan." Naruto looked on with pride. "Swirl it really fast." She was holding a water balloon in her hand.

"How long did you say you spend on this?" Naruto avoided eye contact.

"Uhhh... a couple of weeks..." Somehow Hinata felt like he was lying for her sake, but she couldn't be sure.

Her and Naruto had spent the last three days training together after they finished teaching their classes. To Hinata's surprise, Naruto was taking to teaching like a fish to water. At first he'd been puffed up at the chance to be in charge of others, but now he seemed to genuinely find interest in instruction. Even more astounding, it was causing a drastic change in the way he approached things.

He was already shouting much, much less; even though his shouting now was down from when they left the village with Sora all those years ago. It seems that it hadn't taken him very long to conclude that he'd never be a great teacher if he intimidated or angered his students.

Naruto also seemed to take special care to make sure that all the students who were having trouble got helped before moving on. To him, it was the mentor he never had being "dead last". It was something that was just part of who he was.

But perhaps most drastic was his thought process. When forced, Naruto had always been a very logical thinker on the battlefield, creating some very elaborate strategies, or at the least very creative. But it had never extended further than that, almost as if it was taxing for him to think like that.

The truth, Naruto knew, was that things often had trouble holding his attention long enough for him to think logically about them. By the time he needed to apply any sort of logic, Naruto had already concluded what was right, and he didn't often care why it was right.

Teaching was nothing _but_ the why however, and even in the few short days they'd been teaching he'd found that the whole process of teaching was helping him learn to slow down enough so that he could think logically, and not just about teaching.

Naruto smiled inwardly as Hinata swirled the liquid faster and faster. She was getting very good at this.

He thought back to last week when Old Lady Tsunade had given him the teaching assignment. He'd scoffed at the idea that teaching Academy students would help him be a better ninja, but only minutes later he'd thought about it more closely.

Iruka seemed like an excellent ninja, and he was good at teaching. Kakashi wasn't necessarily good at teaching, but he'd accepted the assignment of Team 7 and their training and done fairly well. And Sora's "100 Techniques" training really had helped him become a better ninja in the end.

Naruto was more impatient than average, but he wasn't a fool. These people had all told him something was true, and then shown him that it was, and he supposed he should start trusting their judgment.

"Ne, Hina-chan, whip them around in _different_ directions. It helps." Hinata nodded, then turned back to her hand, concentrating intensely.

Naruto turned back to his scroll, brush in hand. The thing was, if Tsunade-baa-chan was right, just like Sora had been, then he was woefully behind in an important area of being a good ninja. And that's why, unlike the Naruto that had left, he stood in the field coaching Hinata on a new technique while he made his first scroll of Ninjutsu, instead of practicing his punches and kicks.

That was one thing he saw about all great ninja. They seemed to develop their own techniques, and people acknowledged them for it. Thinking to himself, he felt he was experienced and strong enough to create his own first-class jutsu's now, and so that's exactly what he was doing.

_Hmmm... but where to start? Kakashi made Chidori_, Naruto thought. _And that's kind of obvious. Like a fist of energy. Impossible to use without a Sharingan. My dad... he made Rasengan. That's a lot less obvious, and a lot more powerful. It's also more efficient, because the chakra swirls so fast._

Naruto sighed. This was more difficult than he'd imagined.

_Then there's all the elementals... I only learned the basics from Nori and Nee-chan. Maybe I'll ask Kakashi or Jiraiya about them._ Naruto blinked, looking at the scroll. _Of course, there's non-combat jutsu's like the one's my mother made for the scroll of 100 techniques..._

So many possibilities...

_Alright, let's go through them: Elementals, Non-Elemental Combat, Non-Combat, Medical, Summoning, Sealing, Illusion, Modification..._ But what was his strength? Naruto frowned. He actually wasn't sure he had a strength.

A loud pop from in front of him drew his attention and he saw Hinata staring surprised at a wet hand. He broke into a huge grin.

"See? I knew you could do it." Hinata returned his smile.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. The advice you gave me about the chakra swirls really helped." She looked at him hesitantly. "What comes next?"

Naruto opened his pack and pulled out another balloon.

"This one only has air inside. It's the same idea, but it's harder to burst it." Hinata took the balloon with a sigh. He knew how she felt... this series of exercises could be infuriating. "You can do it, Hinata-chan, I know it!" She nodded and began concentrating.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Kakashi whipped past the landscape. He didn't know where it was precisely, and he only had a week and a half to locate what he was looking for, and that was including the time that had been a lotted to his "official" mission.

_Hmmm... Naruto certainly learned a lot from Sora-chan..._ He jumped from branch to branch almost lazily, despite his blinding speed. _I definitely miscalculated with him. She's going to kill me when I see her._ He glanced up at the sunny sky. _Maybe I can tell Jiraiya about it and he'll write another book..._

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto walked with a hop in his step. The training session with Hinata had gone pretty well, and he was excited about creating his own jutsu and helping Hinata become stronger. She'd left with Neji, who'd been asked by Tsunade to retrieve her. Evidently the Hokage wanted to discuss something with her.

"Welcome back, Naruto." He looked up into the trees and saw a mane of white hair.

"Ero-sennin!" Jiraiya grimmaced at the greeting.

"I thought you'd have grown out of that by now, seeing as you'd been enlightened to the ways of the woman." Naruto frowned. Whatever "ways" Jiraiya was thinking of, he was sure it wasn't anything he'd thought about Hinata. "You were teaching her the Rasengan."

Naruto's face blanked instinctively. It was something that he did now, automatically, when confronted by someone who knew more about you than you did about them. Suspicion... but it was purely instinctual, and after a few moments, Naruto simply felt curiosity.

"And?" Jiraiya hopped down from the tree, standing in front of his former charge.

"Why? It was the Fourth's technique. What purpose does teaching Hinata serve?" Three years ago, this exchange would have confused him. The question didn't make much sense. Jiraiya had no real reason to ask the question he did, especially the way he did.

But this was not three years ago, and Naruto was not confused. _Methods of Interrogation: Non-Violent Approaches_. It had been part of Sora's mandatory homework, and it laid it out very clearly: the easiest way to get an answer out of a comrade was to ask a question which was both unrelated, and a non-sequitur. It confused them into giving a long answer where they went off on a tangents, and got them in the habit of answering your questions quickly, expecting to have their own answered at some point as well.

"What do you really want to know, ero-sennin?" Jiraiya stared at Naruto, unblinking. The boy was very, very different. And much, much smarter. He smirked.

"Why did Sora agree to train you?"

_Ah, so that's it._

"She is famous for being a lonesome soul, and Tsunade told me that she initially refused point-blank. Yet, as soon as she found out your name... she couldn't resist." Jiraiya smiled much more warmly, he wasn't interrogating any more, he was having a conversation with a ninja who he apparently needed to treat as more of an equal. "I'm curious... and so is Tsunade."

Naruto sighed. Perhaps it had been a dream to think he could keep this all bottled up forever. He'd thought about it for hours upon hours. Would he claim The Fourth as his father? It's not as if they looked that different. He wasn't exactly the same, but few people in the Leaf had blond hair. He was actually surprised no one had pieced it together... especially considering the discovery of The Fourth's will while he was away...

"What was The Fourth's name?" Naruto asked. Jiraiya paused, unsure if Naruto actually wanted to know or was simply interrogating _him_.

"Minato. He went by no other name, that is simply who he was." Jiraiya waited. Surely that wasn't the only question Naruto was going to ask.

"Was he from the Leaf?"

"No." Naruto nodded. He wasn't exactly surprised... no blond haired, blue eyed clan to come from around here.

"Where?"

"I do not know." The Toad Sage paused. "I came across him while I was away on a mission in the mountains to the west. He was an infant, alone and crying in a pile of burning rubble. I don't know who he belonged to or what had happened, but he was the only one alive." A silence fell between them.

"And then?"

"And then... I brought him back to the village. I didn't raise him as a son, he was raised by the whole village under the watchful eye of the Third. He was very well liked even before he became Hokage." Jiraiya tried to read the look in Naruto's eyes. "Perhaps the relevant question is if you are from the Leaf."

Naruto sighed again. He wasn't really sad, it just sort of felt empty. He was learning things about his father that Sora couldn't fill in, but it all told him everything he'd known before: no relatives, no family, no past. How to answer...

"What did the Fourth say?" Naruto asked. "When he brought me to seal the Kyuubi in." Jiraiya could find no answers in Naruto's face, even as the boy asked what was obviously an emotional question.

"That he had just retrieved you from somewhere in the west, that you were from his clan, and that you had no past." Jiraiya frowned. "He said you had only a future, and that that's the only thing any of us could hope to have." There was another uncomfortable pause. "I assumed he had found the people he'd belonged to, though I've never been able to locate them since."

Naruto closed his eyes. So that's what they'd thought. It seemed reasonable actually; Minato had come from a far away place with no past, and Naruto had appeared from a far away place with no past. Thinking they belonged to the same clan was certainly a plausible explanation. Jiraiya was his sensei though... perverted or not, he deserved to know.

"Minato _had_ a family name." Naruto looked up, staring Jiraiya straight in the eye. "It was Uzumaki."

Jiraiya wasn't exactly blown away, but the slow realization of what that meant hit him.

"You weren't of his clan, you were of his blood." Jiraiya said it almost amused. As if he was stunned he'd had to be told it was so. A sudden, honest smile of affection spread over Jiraiya's face. "He used his own son to save the village. He truly was an amazing man."

Naruto was staring down at the dirt. If only the damn fox hadn't come... he'd have everything he'd always desperately wanted. Naruto suddenly wished that Hinata was there to wrap his arms around. A thought suddenly dawned on Jiraiya.

"How did Sora..." He searched for the words. "Why did _she_ know?" Naruto thought carefully. Not all of this was his story to tell.

"She knew my mother." Jiraiya nodded slowly. That made sense. What an odd twist of fate that she would later train under Tsunade.

"I see." A long silence spread between them.

Coming back to the village wasn't like he'd thought it would be, Naruto now realized. Not only did he not know all of these people as well as he had, but he knew others very well now also. He knew more about the larger world, he knew about politics and history. In a way, he felt he was no longer a child. As if that innocence was gone from him. He could immitate it, but it was a charade at this point. After all, he _had_ killed a man. Torn him to pieces...

"Should I tell Tsunade?" A good question, Naruto realized. She was the Hokage, he couldn't very well keep it from _her_. Although... Sora was sure going to get an earful once Tsunade realized what she knew.

"Yeah, that _is_ why you were asking, right?" Naruto looked at the man, his eyes almost level with Jiraiya's now.

"Well," Jiraiya seemed to ponder the answer. "I _was_ a little curious..." He suddenly became very serious. "You should be very proud. Minato was one of the finest people I've ever met." Jiraiya closed his eyes in a look of annoyance. "And one of the only other people to call me ero-sennin."

"WHAT?!" Naruto just about jumped at this. "See, I told you you're a pervert!" Jiraiya just smiled.

"Hey kid." Naruto looked at him expectantly. "Sometime you and me will go have some sake and I'll tell you all about your dad." Naruto smiled broadly.

"I'll hold you to that, ero-sennin!" Jiraiya waved as he dashed through the trees.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Hinata stood rigidly in front of the desk, and Tsunade waved dismissively for her to relax, before turning to Neji.

"You may go Neji." He nodded curtly, smiling at Hinata briefly before walking out the door. It made Hinata feel a little warm inside. Neji had never worn true, friendly smiles on his face before she left. She was glad he had been able to find some peace.

"I've read your report–" Hinata made to protest, but Tsunade immediately raised her hand. "I know that you must have done most of it," she said with little doubt.

"Ano... Actually, Naruto-kun wrote most of it. I looked it over to make sure he didn't miss anything. I was working on our lesson plan." Tsunade wore an expression of clear amazement on her face.

"Well I'll be damned. Looks like Sora actually did hold up her end of the bargain." Tsunade shook her head and turned her attention back to Hinata. "Well, I suppose that doesn't matter. The reason I wanted to talk with you is because there were some things I'd like to know that weren't in the report." Hinata waited patiently.

"Mainly, from the looks of it, you guys learned a lot about Sora's past. I don't see any of that in the report." Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"With respect Hokage-sama, if there is something you don't know about Sora you should ask her." Hinata's voice became very small. "It isn't our place to reveal such things."

Tsunade fixed Hinata with a very calculating stare. _Dear God, first Naruto actually wrote this report, and it's an excellent report... then Hinata tells me to stop being a coward?_ Tsunade couldn't read Hinata's face. _What they HELL did Sora do?!_

"I see." She looked down at the papers and shuffled them a bit, trying to formulate her next sentence. "I'm trying to figure out how to get Sora into the village, and I'd hoped that understanding her better would help. I appreciate your point though. Perhaps there are other ways."

"Hokage-sama, I think Sora will join the village, even if it takes a little while." Hinata smiled fondly. "Naruto-kun did a pretty good job of changing her mind." Tsunade nodded.

"Yes, well... I've thought that about Sora before myself, and turned out to be wrong. I'm just not sure if this time is any different." Hinata nodded confidently.

"Trust me, she'll be back."

Just then a breeze came for the window and the two women looked over to see Jiraiya sitting on the sill. He half smiled at the two before hopping down.

"When you get a moment, Tsunade." She nodded, turning back to Hinata.

"Thank you for your help, Hinata. Good luck against Neji." She bent over so that her mouth was right next to Hinata's ear. "I'll make sure Hiashi doesn't do anything too rash." Hinata smiled wryly, not sure if Tsunade would be able to live up to such a promise.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Hinata bowed briefly, before turning and leaving. Jiraiya had such a peculiar look on his face.

_I wonder what he needs to tell her?_

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata combed her hair slowly. With such long hair, it was essential that she combed it every night before she went to sleep. She sighed, smiling. Naruto had been very adamant about how much he liked her hair long, but she honestly liked it that we as well at this point. It felt elegant, and beautiful, and everything that she hadn't been before she left. The hair stretched halfway down her back now.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a knock came from her bedroom door.

"Come," she said curiously. It was a bit late for someone to be knocking. The door opened to reveal Neji. She smiled. "What do you need, Neji?"

"I came to talk about your father... and the match." She motioned for him to sit, and he did, folding his legs under himself.

"Why? What is there to say?" Neji looked uncomfortable.

"Hiashi-sama is... misguided. I do not know why he feels the way he does, clearly it is something before our time, but he more and more each day becomes obsessed with the clan and it's place in Konoha. It is beyond the point of his position. It has become unhealthy." Hinata wasn't sure she liked where this was going... she'd already seen what a Branch Revolt could do to a clan...

"Neji..." He paused and looked at her, obviously still uncomfortable.

"I do not know the details of your mission. You seem to be such a different person, Hinata-sama. Wiser... stronger... I do not know if leading the clan is your calling, but I am certain that Hiashi must... curb his enthusiasm." Neji took a deep breath. "Hanabi is a good Hyuuga, and she is not heartless or mindless, but she lacks vision. She is too easily manipulated... she is what other people make of her. That is why it is vital that you become heir." He held his breath for a moment. "At any cost."

"What is it you're saying, Neji?"

"You must defeat me, and it must be convincing. It must... convince Hiashi of your worth." He took a deep breath again. "If you fight me with the form you learned he will credit nothing to your performance. We will accomplish nothing. You will simply infuriate him further." Hinata still wasn't sure where he was going with this, but the feeling of dread was growing.

"I don't understand Neji, what are you trying to say?" The Hyuuga looked at her pleadingly.

"You must defeat me, without using the Shina-To-Be." Hinata shook her head.

"But that is impossible. The Jyuuken is far too difficult for me and I'm not well trained enough in it to do that. I don't know any of the clan techniques." She mumbled a bit, looking down. "If I fight with the Jyuuken the match will be a joke." Neji's hands rose off his knees, and Hinata looked up as he slowly removed his Hitai-ite, revealing the green seal on his forehead.

"Please Hinata, you must defeat me without using the Shina-To-Be..." His eyes were pleading with hers and she registered shock as she finally comprehended what he was saying.

"No," said simply. "I refuse." Neji set his leaf insignia on the ground.

"You must. It is the only way. It is for everyone's good."

"Father won't accept that, it would be even more of a cop-out than using the Shina-To-Be." Neji shook his head.

"No, Hiashi would see it as strength. Backbone. The ability to take your place in the head family and defeat the branch family the way the branch family is to be dealt with. If anything, it would show him that you respect the traditions." Hinata stated shaking, as if she had a shiver.

"B-But... Neji..." She was desperate... anything... "I've never activated it before... what if I do it too strong?" Her voice caught in her throat and suddenly became very small. "What if I... kill you?" Neji looked as if his muscles were very tense.

"Then I will have died helping my family and my friends." Hinata started to cry.

"My father is nothing to die over." Neji stayed firm.

"But my nindo is. I do not want to see this clan, this family become what it is becoming." Hinata shook her head.

"No, I won't do it." Neji looked down sadly, relaxing in a slump.

"Then... then I'm not sure we'll accomplish anything..." Hinata suddenly felt very angry.

"I am the clan heir!" she nearly shouted. "And when we fight, I will make sure that _everyone_ knows it!" Neji looked at her in awe. In that moment, he thought that's exactly who she was.

**Author's Note: **A few quick notes here. First, I'm looking for a beta. I know a lot of people would like to help beta this story, but unfortunately it would be almost useless if you don't compliment the things I'm not so good at... I consider myself better at editting than writing, and I can sort of do it while I write, but I'm not nearly as good at editing my work as I am at editing other's work.

So, at the bottom of this note is an editors test. A bit unorthodox, I know, but bear with me. I'll be looking for two people: one to catch semantics and conventions... spelling, word choice, phrasing, order to information, organization, etc. This is the sort of editing people expect from an English teacher. The second will be a story, character and flow editor. I want them to let me know if someone is too far out of character, if something doesn't make sense, or if it conflicts with something I've written before.

Both editors are welcome to provide both types of feedback, but I would really like to see two people who each have separate strengths.

Next, I want to let everyone know something. I have this story charted. In fact, I "wrote" this story a year ago... the plot, the events, etc. It's probably going to end up somewhere in the 30 chapters area... close to 150,000 words or so. To give some perspective on that, "Two Halves" was approximately 160,000 words, and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is about 500,000 words. But everything is planned already, down to certain specific conversations I've already written that belong in chapters 20-30. I'm more than willing to listen to suggestions, and I will change things if I get a better idea, but for now, all the good ideas I've heard in reviews touch on stuff I'm already planning. :) Yay me.

FYI, there are three basic arcs to "Twice Shy". The first is simply titled "Hinata's Struggle", and we're almost exactly in the middle of it. The second is titled "Jounin Exam", though a lot more than the Jounin exam happens during that arc. The third is... secret. I couldn't even type out the title without giving away part of the ending unfortunately... The third is by far my favorite arc though, the second is the most angsty, and the first is the most difficult to write, (no question).

Third, I really wanted to thank you guys. In the last two chapters, I could have come across self-righteous or annoying, but people responded well. I'm also floored by the amount of positive feedback I've received about the quality of my writing. I have a style that is close to J. K. Rowling's which lends itself well to imaginative fiction, but even so I was very flattered at what people have had to say about my work. One day, I really hope that I can publish my own original work. Thanks for your comments.

Finally, I wanted to clear up some continuity issues. (I really need to stop these LONG author's notes). I will be incorporating _non-destructive_ elements of the current manga. That would be, Nanashi's true name (Kushina), The Fourth's real name (Minato), and Sasuke's defection pre-timeskip. I will also include some aspects of Akatsuki. I will NOT include the Uchiha backstory, Sage Mode, etc. Itachi was cast as far too evil and ruthless during Two Halves for me to pull that stunt, and I have my own directions so far as Naruto's development as a stronger fighter. You'll just have to wait and see. (Damn, this author's note is almost a page...)

PS: I know the fourth's real last name was Namikaze, but in Two Halves, Dame wren already specified that Naruto got his last name from his father... so for this story Minato's last name will be Uzumaki.

**Editor's Test (email corrections to: jordan [dot] ledoux [at] gmail [dot] com):**

Hinata had been up for about an hour sorting through the things she'd brought with her. She'd looked them over for a few moments that night she'd returned, but hadn't really had the chance to go over them and decide what to do about it all.

She smiled faintly as she pulled out the very first pair of hair sticks that Naruto had bought her. For some reason, they still seemed the most precious to her. Standing, she pulled her hair back, wrapping it around into a proper bun before securing it with the sticks. Glancing over at the mirror she faintly thought that she enjoyed her hair like this as much as he did, before returning the rest of her things to their places, and heading out the door.

Neji was on a mission, and so her training in the Jyuuken form could not proceed for at least a few more days. But that was no excuse for her to not practice at all. She pulled one of the familiar doors open, stepping out into a training court yard the Hyuuga compound boasted.

**I know there might not be much to edit here. It is a bit short. Just give it your best shot if you're interested, even if it's just commenting on what the text does. You challenge is to give me a feel for your grasp of the job an editor does. ^_^**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Pre-Note: **As an aside, I'm startled at how many of you simply took Neji's words as the honest-to-God-truth-thank-you-ma'am. I'm the author, I will never lie to you. But Neji, just like Hiashi, just like Naruto, is a character, and characters have a point-of-view. Hiashi has his as well, and I assure you it is very different from Neji's. (And I am certain that some will now distrust EVERYTHING Neji says... even Naruto's character will mislead you... that's something characters do.)

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"We have a situation," one of the shimmering figures stated without a hint of emotion. "Our former colleague seems to have created a problem that may affect our efforts with the Kyuubi."

"How is that?" a hunched figure asked.

"He has an irrational need to exact revenge, and the Kyuubi has an irrational need to prevent it." There was a pause as he waited to see if anyone would add anything. "This would not necessarily be a situation on its own, but he has gathered another. Itachi..."

"The avenger..." Itachi's icy voice didn't betray his feelings in the slightest. "He is not a problem."

"Even so, he was not part of our original calculations."

"There is no situation, I assure you," Itachi reaffirmed. The other figures were interested. Normally Itachi didn't assert himself this much. "Orochimaru is no problem on his own. He is weak, and lacks the discipline to cause any real issues. The avenger will not harm our aspirations. I can guarantee that."

"Oh? How can you say that?" The figures all stared at Itachi, waiting for his response.

"Because if he does, I will destroy him."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto was feeling a little out of sorts these last few weeks. His time with Sora had been about change, and discovery, and study. It had been about growth, and surprises, and arguments. But his time with Sora had mostly broken him from his need to seek attention however possible. There was a certain security in knowing that others would be there and care about what you felt whether or not you did something outrageous to make them notice.

The problem was that Naruto felt like he was a different person now that he'd returned to the village. He hadn't felt different when he'd been with Sora, even at the end... it was just how he was. But being back in Konoha was like a mirror into the past, and he could see himself doing the things he used to. Maybe the other's felt the same way. Maybe they all had grown up so quickly and not noticed the changed the others had gone through because they had been focusing on themselves so much. He'd ask Hinata later, and hopefully sort it all out.

It was definitely a strange feeling. He knew why he had done those things... a part of him felt like doing them now, simply because it was comforting. But coming back it was as if he felt compelled to show how different of a person he'd become. Yet at the same time he desperately wanted others to understand that he was the same Naruto that left... it was a frustrating paradox.

Naruto sighed and scanned the living room. He couldn't afford to forget something today; Hinata wouldn't be able to remind him if he forgot something. She was busy training for her match, and she'd said that this part of her training was so important she couldn't let him know about it. Well... whatever.

He walked out the front door, locking it behind him, a scroll in hand. There were three weeks left until Hinata's match, and while he was certain that she could do it, something was bothering him. Hiashi was not acting like Hiashi. Naruto turned and started walking towards the Academy, kicking a few stones as he went.

They had studied a lot of clans and politics with Sora, it had been an absolute requirement of hers, but Hiashi was not making any sense at all... he wasn't concerned about the clan as a whole it seemed, as he wasn't embracing what would make the clan stronger. The way he was treating Neji, the clans most promising prodigy, Hinata, the clans most prominent figurehead, and even Hanabi, the clans strongest Main Branch youth (or so he thought), was all wrong. He was taking an ideological stance, and the problem was that an ideological stance almost always hurt the clan so that another person could gain power, usually the person taking the ideological stance. It had been how the Lady of the Wind had gained power: ideology. The problem was that Hiashi already had absolute power within the clan.

Naruto sighed, trudging along, his thoughts breaking the silence of the morning that was punctuated only by a few birds chirping in the distance. All of this bothered him a great deal. The only real thing Hiashi gained by everything he was doing was to keep Hinata from being the heir. But why? It just didn't make any sense. If only Sora was here... she'd know what was going on.

Entering the Academy building, Naruto shook the feeling from himself, as if he were a dog shaking off water, and he promptly entered the classroom, a few minutes early. It wouldn't do if he started turning into Kakashi...

Setting the scroll on the desk and looking around the room, he saw that about half the class was already there. He was trying to remember all their names, but it was difficult. Sora had taught him a lot of patience and maturity, but he still was having trouble convincing his brain that remembering their names was worth the effort. Stupid brain always seemed to complain about something.

Naruto's eyes settled on an empty seat that was always filled. _That's... Amenaka._ Naruto squinted as he thought to himself. _He always gets here before me. I wonder where he is?_ As if by cue, Daisuke careened through the door, jumping right into his seat. He looked up at Naruto with a sheepish look, like he'd been caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

"Sorry I'm late, Naruto-sensei." Naruto shook his head.

"It's alright, class hasn't even started yet, Amenaka-sam–" Naruto stopped abruptly. "Amenaka-san."

_Amenaka-sama? Why would I..._ Naruto looked back at the boy with his brown hair and broader shoulders. _Aha! That's where I know that name from! But... how?_ Naruto realized he was staring at the boy and quickly turned to the scroll on his desk, shuffling it around unpurposefully. Was he related? If so, how did he get here?

Naruto glanced around the room. Nearly all of the students were there now, and it struck him that they seemed so young in his eyes. It seemed like such a long time ago that he was in the classroom thinking about how great being a ninja would be, and now here he was, staring those same faces back from the other side of the desk.

He looked up at the clock, cleared his throat, and waited for the class to fall silent. It was something Iruka had told him after seeing one of his first classes. Naruto, as could be expected, was rather vocal about how and when the students should be quiet. Iruka explained however that the simple act of waiting for them to notice that you were ready to begin, then saying something only if they didn't notice or care, was more effective. He had explained that it established Naruto as a figure of authority in a more subtle and successful way because children don't respond well to others who demand authority outright.

Naruto wasn't completely sold on it, but after giving it a try once he'd had excellent results, and the students had seemed to pay him better attention. He didn't really care too much about the reason, Iruka's little trick worked and that's what mattered.

"Hinata-sensei won't be joining us today. She's busy with some other stuff." Naruto paused to collect his thoughts when a couple of giggles near the back got his attention. They seemed to be centered about the lone Hyuuga student in the classroom. Naruto clenched his jaw, willing himself to act like a teacher should... the students really gave him headaches sometimes...

"Hyuuga-san, please refrain from disrupting the class or I'll have a talk with Hiashi-sama." The Hyuuga boy looked at the same time fearful and disbelieving, as if he wasn't sure that Naruto would follow through on his threat.

"Now, today we're going to get out of the classroom. Everyone out to practice field two!" The students all immediately perked up, and animated discussion erupted amongst themselves as they filed out of the classroom. Naruto made sure that everyone had left, another hard lesson learned with help from Iruka, and grabbed the scroll off the desk before heading out himself.

When he approached the practice field Naruto saw his class milling about, no longer talking. He smiled.

"Hinata-sensei and me have talked before about the Kaze taijutsu form and how unique it is in comparison to other forms we see here in the East." The students seemed to be hanging on his every word. Naruto smirked. "Well today I'm going to demonstrate the Shina-Tsu-Hiko form for you, and later I'll teach you the basics."

He looked around and saw the excitement in everyone's eyes. Clearly that was something that they were happy to hear.

"Now, I want Amenaka-san to come into the practice ring with me." The boy looked startled, but soon smiled as he walked over toward Naruto. "Amenaka-san is very good at taijutsu, and so he is going to spar with me. I want all of you to pay attention to me as we're fighting, and take note of the things I do. Think about the style of the Kaze and try to see similarities." Naruto turned to the boy in front of him.

"You're going to try to touch my Hitai-ate. If you do that, you win." Daisuke nodded curtly, falling into a basic taijutsu stance. Naruto took in a deep breath, moved into a Tsu-Hiko opening stance and waited.

After a moment of stillness, Daisuke exploded towards him with a quick hook kick to the shoulders. Naruto dropped his rear foot back and threw his arms out, drawing his torso towards his front knee, and sent the kick harmlessly over his body.

Daisuke used the momentum of his missed kick to spin around for another, this time a low spinning crescent. Naruto pivoted his head away from the kick bringing his hand together on the boys ankle and pulled toward his stomach as he gave it a half twist. This leveraged Daisuke's body and completely spun his body around putting him into the splits.

Naruto back-flipped away and waited as Daisuke lost his balance and fell to the side, his groin aching somewhat at the strain from being thrown into the splits.

"Wow..." Naruto heard a breathless student utter from the crowd. He couldn't really blame them; the form looked like one fluid motion, not segmented like most martial arts. The squat and the counter had been two separate moves, but because of the way the conditioning went, the two movements looked as if he'd performed them as a single act.

Daisuke got back on his feet and looked over at Naruto again, this time more cautiously. Naruto-sensei had done something very strange... Daisuke readied himself and charged once more, this time faking a punch to the head and then trying for a leg sweep.

Naruto arched away from the punch until his palms rested on the ground, back bent smoothly. He quickly lifted his legs off the ground, using the momentum of his bending motion to pull his legs up into the air. Naruto's legs quickly wrapped around the outstretched arm, even as the sweep kick passed harmlessly underneath his legs.

Using his hands to move his body, Naruto quickly spun himself, flinging Daisuke around one and a half times by the arm before depositing him on his back, caught in an arm bar.

To the students, who were now utterly stunned, it had seemed as if Naruto had known the sweep kick was coming before anything had happened, and had started walking on his hand while he grappled with his feet in one fluid motion.

Naruto released Daisuke and climbed to his feet before dusting off and turning to the class.

"As you can see the Shina-Tsu-Hiko form is very fluid and beautiful, and yet very deadly. Amenaka-san is one of the best taijutsu fighters in your class. It takes a lot of hard work to be very good at it though, so you probably won't get down anything so amazing as what I used during this class. That doesn't mean it won't be useful though."

Naruto smiled, taking the class through the basics of the Shina forms. Teaching, he concluded, was indeed a lot of fun.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"No, the movement is much more of a twisting action," Neji explained, demonstrating. Hinata paid close attention. "You bring the palm around while you bring it forward. It makes it much more difficult to block." He gestured for her to try.

Hinata had been very thankful when Neji had suggested that he helped train her in the Jyuuken form following their conversation in her room. The only problem was that in order to make the fight as legitimate as possible, no one could know that Neji was helping her. He was going to fight his best in the match of course, but it was just too big of a risk that someone might discredit his performance should she win.

Hinata fell into the stance, activated her Byakugan and performed the strike as Neji had explained. She could see what he meant... the strike had a much more harmful chakra pattern to it when she did it like he showed. Neji smiled in satisfaction.

"Very good, Hinata-sama." She looked at him wearily for a moment.

"I wish you wouldn't call me that, Neji." It was almost comical when she thought about it. Before she'd left, Neji had treated her very poorly, yet now she felt a little uncomfortable with the amount of respect he was showing her. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate it, it just made her self-conscious about herself. She wanted to earn people's respect, not demand it.

"You're much better with the Jyuuken than you think," Neji commented, as if he were estimating a weight or deciding the price of something. "The form you learned while away helped your execution of the Jyuuken, clearly."

"How is that possible?" Hinata asked, running through her practice sets again. "I didn't practice with the Jyuuken at all." Neji looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, it definitely helped your chakra and body control, which always helps with the Gentle Fist, but it vastly improved your strength and speed which both were your weakest areas before you left." Neji looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Besides perhaps your confidence."

Hinata blushed in embarrassment for a moment. Naruto had told her many times that she was better when she was confident, and that she should be confident more often. It wasn't as easy as it sounded.

But then, being a ninja wasn't supposed to be easy.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Kakashi held a scroll in his hand, walking carefully through the trees, no sun shining through on account of the cloudy day. He'd been to the scene of Naruto's battle with Kisame and written his report, but now he was looking for Sora.

_She's probably at Nanashi's house..._ Kakashi though idly. He'd had to go there a few times with messages or packages from the Fourth, but it had been a very long time, and he didn't remember the jutsu to get back in.

He was close to the cliff base, and looked up, wondering how he was going to get up. He knew about the wards... it didn't seem like there was much of a chance unless he got Sora's attention somehow.

_Bingo._

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Sora looked out the kitchen window at Yasu and Miki in the grassy area at the front of the house. She'd come inside to make herself a snack, but they'd been training Miki hard the last few days. It seemed as if Yasu was past the grief stage and was beginning to fixate on revenge and strength. In the last four days she'd caught Yasu up past one in the morning researching something in library twice, and it was the feverish sort of research that she remembered from their times as the dGra Klesha... except more dark.

Shaking her head she looked back at her sandwich. Yasu wasn't moping anymore and _that_ was a good thing. She took a bite as she looked up again. Miki was practicing her forms under her mother's watchful eye, and she was doing very well in Sora's opinion. Five year olds were pretty flexible though, and that would help Miki with the Shina form more than others.

Walking outside Yasu looked up and smiled, although it didn't seem as friendly as Sora remembered. Yasu seemed somewhat distant, even now. It was sobering when she thought about it. Sora had trouble grasping the love that Yasu had described with Nori, but she felt she could understand what that love had been better now that she saw the pain of loss.

"Alright Miki-chan, do it again but snap your arm more. The longer your arm is out the longer someone can grab it or hurt you. You can't block with an arm that is punching." Miki nodded in determination, mirroring her mother in so many ways. Yasu looked up at Sora and gave her another empty smile before looking back to her daughter.

Sora frowned. It was pretty sad that she could only understand love through loss it seemed, and not the funny kind of sad. She sighed, turning to look out at the valley, when her eyes caught a single white bird flying in a slow figure eight pattern. That was... strange.

_Wait... no it can't be..._

"I'll be right back," Sora told Yasu. The older woman barely nodded in acknowledgement. Sora sprinted towards the stairs and descended quickly, coming up to the base in minutes. She flashed through a few hand seals before pushing the rock wall out of the way, looking around. She didn't see him anywhere.

"Yo," a lazy voice called out from behind her. She whipped around and stared at Kakashi, completely still and silent for a few moments. Then, she erupted.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'YO'!? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ALL THIS TIME IN KONOHA WITH MY LITTLE BROTHER LETTING HIM GO ALL THIS TIME KNOWING NOTHING!" Sora stopped to catch a breath, allowing Kakashi enough time to wince. "AND THEN YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO COME HERE AND SEND THE SIGNAL YOU USED TO DELIVER MESSAGES TO NANASHI!"

They stared at each other for a few moments, Sora apparently deciding that she wanted to hear Kakashi speak.

"I'm sorry..." Kakashi started. Sora was admittedly a little surprised, but not at all deterred from her anger. "We all kind of made mistakes with him. I won't give you any excuses, I came by to thank you, Sora-chan." At this her eyebrows disappeared up into her hair.

"_Thank_ me?!" Sora clenched her fists, readying them for the inevitable blow that she was going to deliver in only moments.

"For Naruto..." Kakashi looked up for a moment before continuing. "I was always a little afraid to be his teacher... because of his father... because of Minato-sensei... I always felt a little bit like if I couldn't replace his father then I wouldn't be doing well enough." Sora scoffed.

"Well that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" She glared at him. "So you were afraid of teaching him, and instead of even trying, you decided it was easier to just not teach him?!" Kakashi's eye fell from the sky to Sora's face before his gaze ended up on the ground. "You coward! Your faults are your own when they only affect you, but you put your fears ahead of my little brother's well-being!"

"It wasn't something I decided, it just happened." He paused and could hear Sora's foot tapping. "I guess I'm a coward when it comes to the past..." Kakashi trailed off, as if the was more to say, but seemed to have nothing else to offer.

Sora studied him for a moment, her calculating gaze measuring his body language. His hands weren't even in their pockets. He did look somewhat pathetic, she supposed. A sour look crossed her face before she finally sighed and settled on looking annoyed.

"Come on up and you can tell me more," she told him, as if it had just ruined her day. "Maybe you can even help me understand why you never told Naruto anything." Kakashi winced again as he tried to remember why he'd come in the first place.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"So this is someone you know from your time with Nanashi?" Yasu asked mischievously. She of course knew the answer, she just liked making Sora squirm.

"Yes, Yasu. Kakashi-baka was a student of... someone we knew..." Sora didn't like feeding her glee in the least. She felt like Yasu kept implying something... fishy.

"So you were both students of two people who were friends with each other? And saw each other regularly?" Sora shot Yasu a very dangerous look, however Kakashi looked oblivious.

"This stew is excellent," he said smiling through his mask. Yasu had insisted on making dinner so that they could 'catch up with each other'.

As it turned out 'catching up' involved a lot of yelling. And a new lump on Kakashi's head.

"Yes," Sora said pointedly, looking at Yasu. "This stew _is_ very good."

"Are you Sora's boyfriend?" Miki asked Kakashi brightly. Kakashi turned and grinned at the child.

"Well I think I'm done with dinner." Sora pushed her plate forward and stomped off.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

**Author's Note:** Hmmm... I'd like to thank everyone who sent me something about being an editor. All of them were fantastic, and it was tough to narrow it down to two. That's why I only narrowed it down to four. :)

On a separate note, I'm really excited about where I'm taking the story from here on out. I have one editor which I shared the entire plot with, (so that she could help me stay on track), and the response I got was... enthusiastic and positive. I'd just like to make sure everyone knows... I didn't start with DameWren's original three chapters because I felt I had to. I started with them because I had an excellent story that started with those three chapters.

Lastly, I wanted to let people in on something: I write like a book author, not a fanfiction author. This means that there's foreshadowing, there's a building action in the plot, there's a series of connected events, there's character growth... it also means that every chapter is not a shocker. A chapter is part of the larger story.

I write chapters like this and I often get the response "I really liked the chapter, **_even if it was just filler_**." I want people to understand that this isn't filler. This chapter, like most "filler" chapters, create a building action within the plot, they build character, they introduce loose ends, and the progress things. I look at chapters like these as parts of the whole. Yeah, there's chapters that have battles in them, and chapters that have earth-shattering conversation, but there's also the chapters that build the tension which leads to the earth-shattering conversation, or creates the bad-blood that makes for such a good fight.

This isn't really something that anyone has to understand or agree with, but I know a lot of readers aspire to write as well. Consider this a small piece of advice from me to you: as long as you consider chapters like this "filler", your stories will always lack that _je ne sais quoi_; that little something that makes it special. (Not that it will make ALL of your stories special, it's just a part.)

(This chapter was written to "Glósóli", "Sæglopúr" and "Hoppipolla" by Sigur Rós)

PS: My Birthday is January 31st! I'm 22! :) Yay me.

PPS: I know another author has started on another version of Twice Shy. No, I'm not upset. Yes, I wish them the best of luck. No, I'm not changing my story. Yes, I like what I'm doing with it. No, I don't wish I hadn't used the first three chapters. No, I don't think it will hurt either of our stories. Yes, I think it's great that someone else decided they would like to take a stab at it. And finally, no, I'm not going to stop writing mine.

So in short, yes I know someone else is doing it, but it doesn't upset me. In fact, I don't think it will affect me at all. ^_^ I don't think I'll be reading it either. At least, not until I'm finished with mine. I don't want to be accused of poaching ideas, or subconsciously do it.

PPPS: Yes, I know Kakashi was eating through his mask. How? He's a ninja... duh.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

「此処と其処の間は私たちが在ります。」-J R LeDoux

(I told you I'm taking Japanese. ~_^)

_It has to be a special technique_, Naruto thought to himself, lying on his back watching the fluffy clouds roll by. He was in a training field, a fair distance from the village itself, which was perfect since he needed to be able to think. Naruto wasn't an idiot... he knew he had some trouble concentrating on thinking, and he figured that eliminating distractions was the easiest way to stop it.

He sighed. Hinata was training again today, and while they'd spent time together nearly every evening, it was a little annoying that he couldn't see her during the day. She knew what she was doing... he trusted her... still...

But Naruto had taken the time to himself as an opportunity to create his own technique, like he'd been working on before. Unfortunately he wasn't any closer to his technique. He still wasn't even sure what kind of technique he should try to make.

During their time with Sora, both Naruto and Hinata had learned many techniques. Sora had demanded that they know some basic elemental techniques, as well as summons. Naruto of course knew the Rasengan and the Shadow Clone Technique, and Hinata had learned several useful Genjutsu.

Maybe that's what he should do... a Genjutsu that was tailor made for someone with lots of chakra. Naruto frowned. But there were so many bloodlines that made Genjutsu useless; also there were plenty of bloodlines that made other people incredibly good at Genjutsu. A Genjutsu with lots of chakra almost seemed like a waste of time.

If he had really, really good chakra control, then maybe he could just learn regular Genjutsu. Naruto jolted up. That was it!

_There's literally dozens of techniques that I could use if only I had better chakra control! If I spend time training to help my control, instead of a new technique, that'll be a lot more useful than creating a brand new Ninjutsu!_ Naruto smiled in satisfaction, before scowling again at the trees. _But I've done almost all of the chakra control exercises! And I still have terrible control compared to others!_

Naruto laid back down, his hands behind his head, and began to watch the clouds pass again. How would he help his chakra control if he'd mastered all the chakra control training exercises he knew and still needed more practice?

_Wait! That's it! Instead of making my own technique, I'll create my own training methods!_ Naruto's mind instantly went into overdrive. For once, it felt like he was thinking _too_ fast.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Neji watched with interest as Hinata seemed to meditate. They had been practicing the Jyuuken together for about a week, and Hinata had said she wanted to try something. Neji was thoroughly impressed by her progress so far, and was intrigued by what she was doing. He supposed it was something she learned while she was away.

They were standing in one of the many similar training fields, enjoying the mostly sunny day. Or if not enjoying, then taking advantage of.

Hinata focused on her breathing. She had never practiced the principals much before the fight with Hanabi, and had only been able to use Intention a few times. If she was honest, it still made her uneasy to surrender so much of herself to chakra, even if it was her own.

But this was different. Now that she had to do it, it was the only thing she could think of.

She had vastly improved her use of the Jyuuken in the brief time she'd been practicing with Neji, almost as if her body was ready to learn the form now. But more than anything, her practice with Neji had taught her that while she was beginning to finally master the form of her own heritage, Neji was on an entirely different level. For him it was as if the form were a blank canvas, and he was an artist furiously applying layer after layer of chromatic inspiration. It wasn't even a fair comparison. She'd never seen any Hyuuga so good at the form in all her time observing the elite of the clan. As much as he'd never admit it, Hinata firmly felt Neji was a level beyond her father. Though he'd just smirk and activate the seal...

Hinata shook her thoughts clear, focusing again. She couldn't afford for her mind to wander right now. Her mind slowly went over the Jyuuken... how the body moved, how the strikes fell, how your weight shifted... she filled her thoughts with what she felt must be the essence of the form itself and slowly gathered her chakra into a tight ball. Smaller... tighter...

Choose the principal, and make it you. Make it your direction and your thoughts themselves.

Devotion.

She was going to devote herself to the Jyuuken and all of its intricacies. She was going to be flawless in execution and fluid in movement.

Let the chakra unwind and go.

She opened her eyes and launched into her forms with renewed vigor, the strikes flowing seamlessly. Neji raised an eyebrow. To him, she was much more complete in her execution now. It seemed less forced and more natural. Strange. He'd have to inquire about what it was she did.

Hinata frowned, coming to a stop, letting the remaining chakra relax. It hadn't worked. Not really. Her execution was better than usual, but it hadn't really been Intention. It hadn't been right. She hung her head for a moment, a weary sigh escaping. She hadn't been intent enough; hadn't willed strongly enough.

"Impressive," Neji said. "Whatever you did helped your form noticeably." Hinata shook her head.

"No, it didn't work like it was supposed to." She looked at Neji, a bit worn from all the training. "Intention is supposed to surrender part of your control to your chakra. You focus on the intent of your actions, and let the chakra control the motions to accomplish it. Theoretically, since your chakra is simply following your intent, it shouldn't matter what form you use intention with. It's a very advanced form of battle meditation." Neji looked at her questioningly.

"What do you mean by intent?" Hinata walked over and they sat down against a couple of trees, relaxing a bit.

"The Kaze developed Intention in order to use chakra. It was how they utilized themselves. Long ago, they were a much more enlightened group... they were even more enlightened a hundred years ago..." She trailed off pausing as if recalling a memory. "When they were first learning to fight, they began to examine the nature of chakra itself, and found that chakra was composed of Nine Principals of Intent. Nine ideas... all chakra, or at least all human chakra, embodied these nine ideas.

"They are: Protection, Destruction, Control, Containment, Love, Devotion, Sacrifice, Power and Self. Shortly after, the Kaze developed Intention as a way to bend the Nine Principals of Chakra to the intent of the user, but it requires a very strong will." Hinata shook her head. "I was able to do it during the fight with Hanabi because of how intent I was on winning. It was the only thing in my mind." Neji nodded slowly in understanding.

"I see." He seemed to consider something for a moment. "We're done for the day."

Hinata nodded, standing and brushing off. Maybe she'd go see what Naruto was doing...

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto settled himself in the middle of the field, cross-legged. It hadn't taken him very long to decide on a place to start for his training; it was just a matter of looking at what his strengths were and designing something that worked with them.

He had a lot of chakra, and not much control, so he needed something that required a lot of chakra, and had layers of difficulty, for when he got better at chakra control. It hadn't taken him very long lying in the grass to come up with an idea.

All living things have chakra, and so do the elements. Chakra control was all about controlling the interaction of chakra inside and outside the body. For most people, their chakra was so small that controlling anything outside of their bodies was beyond hopeless without the assistance of hand seals, but Naruto had plenty of chakra to spare.

So there he sat in the field, eyes closed, nose scrunched in concentration. His first task was to see just how viable this idea was. He focused on his own chakra, much like he did for his Kaze training, only he slowly and evenly pushed it out of his body like he did to walk on water. As he increased the amount of chakra slowly and paid close attention, he began to notice a little bit of fuzziness just outside his body. It was almost like seeing a painting with your hands instead of your eyes, he decided.

He could... sense something. But it was all so jumbled and mixed up. A breeze suddenly kicked up, gusting through his hair, and Naruto jolted out of his meditation. As the wind had picked up, he'd felt something stronger and clearer, until the wind had gotten strong enough that his chakra just seemed to melt into nothingness.

_Hmmm... this could be difficult._ Naruto pondered how he could improve the training technique until after a few moments he noticed a movement on his left near the tree line. Whipping his head around he saw Hinata staring at him, smiling warmly. He loved the way she smiled at him... there were plenty of people that smiled at him now, but not many smiled with their eyes... Hinata did.

"Hina-chan!" he called out, jumping to his feet. He ran towards her as she began moving in his direction, and as they met Naruto scooped her up in his arms, bringing her in close. He took in a deep breath, his nose filling with the scent of lilacs and the unique smell of Hinata. Her body was warm, and soft, and as Naruto held her close, cherishing the warmth and scent of the moment, the rest of the world seemed to melt away into a blur of sound and color that he could neither see nor hear properly.

His eyes were closed, and the only thing that stood out in his ears was the sound of Hinata's breathing right next to his head, and for a while, time stopped for them.

"Naruto-kun..." she purred softly, he smiled, slowly pulling back so he could look her in the eye.

"Hina-chan..." Naruto moved his face in towards hers, until their foreheads were touching, gazing confidently into her soft eyes. They could feel each other breathing, their faces only inches apart, and Hinata blushed stronger than she had in a long time as her entire vision was occupied by the intense yet comforting sight of Naruto's piercing blue eyes.

"We need to get to our class..." Hinata whispered. Naruto didn't make any movement to show that he had heard her, continuing to star into her gaze for a few more moments before slowly bringing his lips forward a few more inches, capturing hers.

No matter how many times they kissed, Hinata always marveled at how soft and warm his kisses felt. She felt herself sink into Naruto, and for the first time in a while the kiss made her weak in the knees. It was a very intimate kiss.

Naruto pulled away, neither sure how long it had been.

"Well we should go then..." Naruto said breathlessly. His voice brought another blush to her cheeks. Naruto always spoke so confidently and loudly, and whenever he spoke with his breathless voice it made Hinata feel so special and close, like it was a voice he used only for her.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Alright, now I want everyone to pay attention to Naruto-sensei as he demonstrates the strike." Hinata looked around the practice field and saw the nods of understanding coming from her students before she turned to meet Naruto's eyes. He nodded as well before settling into the proper stance.

The students watched in fascination as Naruto demonstrated a flowing combo intended to disarm an opponent of a bladed weapon. After a few times, the students all found space from each other and began to run through the combination.

Naruto walked around watching and giving suggestions, as Hinata did the same with a different group of students. He came up to Daisuke and paused; the boy was a natural talent for the form. _I should ask him..._

"Daisuke, stop for a moment. I got something I want to talk to you about." The boy looked up at Naruto with a frown, but dropped his arms to his sides and followed Naruto a bit away from the class. Naruto looked at him for a moment, like he was trying to find something in the boy's face.

"Daisuke, who are your parents?" The boy's body language was easy to read. Immediately his eyes darted away and he shifted uncomfortably.

"I grew up in an orphanage." Naruto waited for a few seconds, but Daisuke didn't seem to be offering any more.

"I'm sorry if it's a bit uncomfortable for you, but why?" Daisuke looked up at Naruto, frustration written on his face.

"Why do you want to know?" he spat. Naruto sighed.

"Were you born in Konoha?" Daisuke's expression changed at once to astonishment.

"No... I..." He looked down. "I was found by a ninja on a mission while I was a baby. I was in a basket on a river, and all I had with me was this necklace." Daisuke reached beneath his shirt and pulled out a chain with a pendant on the end. It was a billowing cloud with a lightning bolt through it. That was all Naruto needed to see.

"Why are you named Amenaka?" Daisuke silently flipped the pendant over and saw that his name was engraved on the other side. "I see." Naruto watched the boy shift again uncomfortably, wondering what to say.

"Wait," Daisuke said, coming to a sudden realization. "Why were you asking?" Naruto sighed.

"After class, you and me are gonna go get some ramen. I've got something we need to talk about."

Daisuke wanted his questions answered now, but Naruto was adamant, and returned the boy to his practicing before going off to work with some of the other students. Throughout the rest of the day, Daisuke's mind was completely preoccupied with his coming discussion with Naruto.

Since he had only one class after Naruto's, it wasn't long before the school day was over, and he ran out of the Academy to see Naruto waiting by the fence. He looked troubled, or at least Daisuke thought he did.

"Let's go," Naruto said simply, and Daisuke followed silent as they went through Konoha to Naruto's favorite ramen stand. "Hey! Ayame-chan! One pork for me, and whatever Daisuke wants!" The boy eyed Naruto for a moment, before turning to the cheery young woman.

"Miso, please." Daisuke ran his fingers over the pendant thoughtfully. "Why did you ask about my family, Sensei?" Naruto looked seriously at him.

"Because while I was on my training mission, I met your family. Your real family." Daisuke's eyes widened and he seemed frozen, as if a statue.

"My... family?" Naruto nodded. "MY FAMILY!?" Daisuke jumped out of his seat.

"Calm down and let me explain," Naruto told him, motioning for him to sit back down. "Hmmm... where to start..." Naruto looked thoughtful, his face scrunched up in concentration as Ayame set down their bowls in front of them. Naruto thanked her, began to eat, and stopped after finishing his first bite.

"The Kaze clan experienced a branch family revolt several years ago. It was bloody, and ruthless, and in lots of ways, meaningless. Just an excuse for killing... but when that happened, a lot of things changed for the Kaze.

"The old families that were loyal to the old Reifujin, that's their leader, were slowly eliminated, imprisoned or forced out. But out of tradition, they were not simply removed. The family that served the Reifujin as the Royal Guards were slowly destroyed, person by person." Naruto pointed at the pendant. "That is the symbol of the Royal Guards of the Kaze." Daisuke's eyes narrowed.

"What exactly are you saying." Naruto looked off for a moment, as if remembering something.

"The Amenaka's were the Royal Guard's of the family, and that is the symbol of their family. You were born from the Kaze." Daisuke stared at Naruto in shock.

"You... met my family?" Naruto nodded. "But... why did they send me away?" Naruto looked thoughtful once more.

"I don't think they sent you away. I think that your mother, or maybe both your parents, I'm not sure, left the Kaze as the revolt happened, and they took you with them. I don't know what happened to your parents, but they must have traveled east towards the Elemental Nations, where you were found by a Konoha ninja." Daisuke looked at his ramen, his appetite gone.

"Do I have any family left?" Daisuke nearly whispered. Naruto smiled.

"You sure do. You must be their cousin... they helped me and Hina-chan a lot while we were there, when we first were... err... meeting the Kaze. In fact, your cousin is the Reifujin now! His name's Raoul." Naruto watched the boy for his reaction, but Daisuke was strangely subdued.

"Then my parents are dead." Naruto frowned.

"Well, we don't know that. Lots of things could have happened."

"No," Daisuke said emphatically. "If they escaped the uprising and tried to get away, the only reason that I'd be left like that is if they died. I refuse to believe anything else." Daisuke looked angry. "I don't want to believe anything else..."

Naruto and Daisuke fell into an uncomfortable silence as they both slowly went through their ramen. It was a lot for Daisuke to take in, and he ran over everything Naruto had told him several times. He had relatives... Daisuke put his chopsticks down.

"I need to go to the Kaze. I need to see them." Naruto looked startled.

"Look kid, it's not exactly a piece of cake getting all the way to the Kaze, and you don't even know how to get there."

"But you do." Daisuke said pointedly. Naruto looked annoyed.

"I'm not taking you all the way to the Kaze just to say hello. Not right now. There's more important things going on for now, and I can't take that long for a field trip. I told you because you deserved to know." Naruto sighed. "Look kid, wait until you get out of the Academy. I'll see if I can take you some time, okay? In the mean time, I'll train you. You can be my apprentice!" Naruto puffed up, looking proud, and Daisuke smiled.

"Alright, it's a deal!"

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Sora and Yasu sipped their tea, but Kakashi sat stoically, staring off in deep thought. Miki had long ago been put to sleep, and they were sitting in the kitchen around the small circular table there, scrolls and books spread out everywhere in front of them.

"I have to leave tomorrow," Kakashi said. He cast a weary look toward Sora then Yasu. "I've already been here a week longer than I was supposed to. Tsunade is expecting me back."

"We'll be coming to Konoha soon," Yasu assured him. "All three of us."

Yasu was in much better spirits now, and seemed much more like the old Yasu that Sora remembered. For the first time in a long time, Sora had seen Yasu smile and heard her laugh. Although it did annoy her that most of those laughs came at the expense of her and Kakashi... But to be honest, Sora had found herself smiling and laughing more recently too. _I guess we just needed someone else to help us break out of our routine..._

"Right, we'll be heading down once I've finished up the work I have now." Sora looked across the table seriously. "Kakashi, there's something we want to share with you before you leave." He lifted his single visible eyebrow in apparent amusement.

"Oh?" Sora pulled out a large scroll from underneath everything and began to unroll it. There were lines and lines of complex formulas on the sheet, stretching as far as she pulled the paper out.

"This is what I've been working on." She looked back up at Kakashi. "It's a way to alter the Fourth's seal, to protect Naruto from losing control of the Kyuubi's chakra." Kakashi eyed the scroll with interest.

"While still allowing him to draw chakra from the seal?" Sora nodded.

"I don't know how much it'll allow him to draw... it will probably limit him somewhat, but he won't have to worry about losing control nearly as much." Kakashi looked over some of the formulas, recognizing bits and pieces offhandedly. There was a lot of work put into this research he could tell.

"How close are you?" Sora pointed to a line of text.

"I've got the mechanism down, and I know how I can change the seal without any danger to Naruto, but I still haven't found a way to purify the chakra. The problem is that the fox's chakra has too much evil intent; it overwhelms his body and his mind." Kakashi looked at the line and saw the missing piece in the formula.

"You should show this to Jiraiya," Kakashi told her. "You and I are both good at sealing, but Jiraiya is a master sealer, and he's most familiar with the Fourth's seal." Sora nodded, rolling up the scroll.

"I plan on it once we get there, but I need to wrap up all my research here first. Yasu has been helping me with some of it, and there are a few things she wants to finish up as well." Yasu nodded vigorously, her eyes suddenly cold.

"The next time we meet, Itachi's sharingan will do him no good," she spat venomously. "I'm going to make sure of it." Kakashi raised his eyebrow again.

"That's a pretty tall order."

"I'll do it," she reiterated. Kakashi shrugged. He didn't doubt her passion or her ability, only that it was possible.

"Speaking of Itachi, do you know anything new about Akatsuki, Kakashi?" The silver haired ninja shook his head at Sora.

"No, we know about as much as you do. Itachi is a member, and they are seeking the jinchuuriki's, though we don't know why." Kakashi sighed. "We don't even know who's running them. Somehow I doubt it's Itachi."

"Well obviously it's the bijuu's they're after, and not the jinchuuriki's themselves. But why?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good for Konoha or for Naruto." Sora nodded.

"Maybe next time we meet them, we'll be able to ask some questions." Yasu shook her head.

"I wouldn't count on it."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto smiled as he watched Hinata scurry back and forth around the kitchen. He liked watching her cook.

"Ne, Hina-chan, what are we having for dinner?" His voice was soft, and he'd come to call it his 'Hinata voice'. She looked up and smiled.

"I'm going to make tempura with Soba noodles, Naru-kun." He nodded and watched as she went back to work. He didn't want to tell her, because he thought she might laugh, but part of the reason he would watch her cook was because he wanted to learn to cook himself. It always made him happy when she cooked for him, and he imagined it would make her feel happy if he cooked for her.

Naruto had come to enjoy this way of ending his days slowly with Hinata, and before long he found himself on the couch with her in his arms, their appetites sated. She would have to go soon, he knew, but the warmth was so nice. He hadn't had that warmth for his entire life, and it was something he never wanted to be without now.

"Hina-chan," Naruto said. She was lying with her back against his chest, and moved her head to look up at his face. "You make me feel so happy." A smile washed over her expressions. Naruto thought she looked radiant.

"You make me feel happy too, Naru-kun..." She leaned up and their lips touched. It was beginning to become a familiar feeling for Naruto, and it was one he didn't want to go without.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

The following day was a day off for Hinata. She wasn't like Naruto, and still needed at least little breaks to recuperate her energy every so often, though after the intense training with Sora, those times were few and far between.

She was sitting in one of the vacant studies in the Hyuuga estate, a scroll out in front of her, practicing her calligraphy. It was soothing, and was one of her favorite ways to spend these resting days. The door opened behind her and she turned to see her father staring harshly at her brush.

"Hinata, please come with me." Hinata hesitated, but rose to her feet and followed Hiashi out into the hall. They entered one of the state rooms, and Hiashi motioned for her to sit on one of the pillows.

"Yes father?" He paused.

"Do you hate me?" She looked up at him startled, searching his eyes for meaning. They were as empty as always.

"Does it matter to you?" Hiashi stared at his daughter for a few moments.

"No." Hinata sighed before bowing her head.

"I hate some of the things you do. I do not hate you." Hiashi nodded.

"A proper answer. Is it truly how you feel?"

"Yes."

"I see." Hiashi paused again, and uncomfortable silence falling between them. "Do you love anyone?"

Hinata's mind raced. Did he find out about Naruto? Was this all a test? Was he setting her up for something?

"Does _that_ matter?" Hiashi again stared his daughter down.

"No, but you seem to think it does." Hiashi sighed, almost as if he didn't want to be here any more than her. "Hinata, love is a feeling. It is fleeting, and it is weakness. It is the blind spot of an otherwise perfect life that allows poor judgment, inferiority and mercy to alter otherwise correct decisions."

"How can you say such a thing?" Hinata responded, affronted. "Love is not a weakness, it is the greatest of strengths. It allows people to be more than they are."

"No, Hinata. It allows people to _think_ they are more than they are. It clouds their mind and keeps them from seeing the reality before them." Hinata began to flush with anger.

"Is that why I am weak, _father_?" She spoke the last word with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "I feel, and that makes me weak? Is that the same weakness that defeated Hanabi in moments?" Hiashi's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Do _not_ address your father and your clan leader like this! You will show the proper respect!" Hiashi seemed to calm himself down before continuing. "Hinata, you are my daughter, and I wish for you to be all that you can, but your capacity to feel is causing you to settle for less than you are. You are weak when you should be powerful. You are indecisive when you should be strong willed." Hiashi looked off as if remembering something. "You love when you should be indifferent." Hinata had seen the look in his eye before.

_Hiashi smiled warmly at Hinata as she showed him the calligraphy she'd just finished._

"_Very good, Hinata-chan." Hiashi took the scroll and showed the smiling woman next to him. Hinata looked up hopefully at her._

"_Did I do a good job kaa-san?" The woman smiled kindly._

"_You did a very good job, Hinata-chan." Hinata watched as her and Hiashi shared a warm look between them._

Hinata stared at her father in understanding.

"Do I remind you of mother?" Hinata saw Hiashi flinch ever so slightly, before his face formed a very sour look.

"You remind me of failure and weakness." Hinata however was unaffected by the slight, and looked down at the tatami mat.

_I remember that look..._ Hinata thought to herself.

"Hizashi-sama was right," Hinata said quietly. Hiashi looked at her in anger. "The division between the main family and the branch family will tear our clan apart." Hinata felt a sting and found herself on the floor. Hiashi had struck her.

"Do not speak of my brother, child. You know nothing of the world and its ways." Hinata looked up at him, mild shock on her face.

"Is... that all you wanted, father?" she asked, getting back to her sitting position. Hiashi looked as if he was in a much more foul mood than when their conversation had begun.

"You are dismissed."

Hinata rose to her feet, bowed, and walked out of the room.

_Mother's death destroyed you more than I realized... father..._

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto was in the same field as the day before, sitting in the lotus position, focusing.

_I need to use more chakra this time, to really be able to feel it._ Naruto slowly collected the chakra within him to prepare to meditate, when a thought suddenly occurred to him. He was trying to collect his chakra to train himself and heighten his self-awareness, and thus his control. But that was very close to the type of meditation the Kaze used to mold chakra with the principals... in fact there was a principal just for that.

Naruto cleared his mind, focusing on his goal. He was going to become one with the world around him. He was going to use his chakra to feel rather than see; to learn more about the air and the grass and the morning dew.

He collected the chakra in his core, tighter and stronger. Choose your principal.

Self.

He was going to completely focus himself inward by feeling outward. He was going to use his chakra to attain understanding.

Unwind and go.

The results were nearly instantaneous. Naruto felt an explosion of sense, as he suddenly became aware not just of the grass around him, but the nature of the grass itself. What made it different from the air and the dew. It was such an amazing epiphany, that after only a few moments, Naruto's concentration, his intention, broke, and the sense of the world around him melted away like wet paint dripping off a canvas.

_That's it!_ Naruto thought excitedly, opening his eyes. _No wonder no one's ever been able to perform this kind of practice before... it requires large amounts of chakra, focus and use of the nature of chakra itself._ He smiled widely. _I guess that would make sense... using the nature of chakra itself to help you learn about the nature of the world..._

Naruto shrugged, jumping to his feet.

"What do you want, ero-sennin?" Jiraiya appeared in a swirl behind him.

"Oh? You knew I was here?" Naruto scoffed.

"Oh please, ero-sennin! I'm not the same weak ninja that left three years ago!" Jiraiya quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh?" He smirked. "Is that so? Well I suppose you deserve some real training then." Naruto eyed the toad sage suspiciously.

"What do you mean? I'm not interested in peeping!" Jiraiya smiled widely.

"But you'd be so good at it..."

"No!" Jiraiya's smile faded and he fixed Naruto with a very serious look. Naruto was surprised. He hadn't seen a look like that on Jiraiya's face except for the conversation about the Fourth.

"Well then how about some real training, Naruto." The blond nodded slowly.

"What do you mean by real training?" Jiraiya looked him in the eyes.

"No playing around, no peeping, no researching... I'll train you as an actual apprentice for the next three months, until the Jounin exam." Naruto looked him up and down, trying to judge if this was a trick.

"Why?" Jiraiya smiled, but this time it didn't look patronizing, like Jiraiya was humoring a small child.

"Because you aren't the same weak ninja that left three years ago," Jiraiya explained. "I trained your father as a real apprentice... I'll give you the same chance." Naruto stared at him, as if considering.

"Alright," Naruto said, nodding slowly. "No holding back."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"I suppose this is goodbye," Sora said lamely, staring at Kakashi outside the entrance to the hidden House of Nanashi.

"For now..." Kakashi said, looking Sora in the eye with his eyelid half closed. They stared at each other for a few moments before Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Sora sighed before turning to go back up the stairs... she wanted to go to Konoha right away, but it would have to wait just a little while.

Kakashi, now traveling back towards the Hidden Village of the Leaf, turned and looked at the retreating rock formation. _I hope you can make it back soon..._ Kakashi turned back to his front. _Naruto... I've got to help you while I still can..._

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

**Author's Note:** We're approaching the end of the first arc... things are going better than I hoped.^_^

The chapters are not as long as I have hoped for however. I keep looking back after I've posted and imagine other scenes that could or should go in that chapter. Well, I made this chapter so that I wouldn't look back at it like that. I really feel like ever scene that should be in this chapter, is.

Next chapter Neji and Hinata will square off. The next chapter could potentially be very long... I might break it into two chapters, I don't know.

Big props to "Redios" who left me a _700 word review_! It actually made me feel guilty... That's only about one-sixth the length of an average chapter in this story... I must confess, getting such a well thought, and LONG review made me put so much more into this chapter. If someone was going to go through that much effort to write how my story made them feel, I was going to make it worth it.

So you guys can thank "Redios" for all the extra length and awesome that I added to this installment.

PS: The quote at the beginning reads: "Koko to soko no aida wa, watashitachi ga arimasu." Or "In the space between here and there, we exist".


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Pre-note:** I can't believe that after so much study of Japanese, and how far advanced I am with the language, I made the _stupid_ and _silly_ mistake of substituting _aru_ for _iru_. "Arimasu" is to exist, or to be, but only for inanimate objects. "Imasu" would be the correct word for the sentence in the last chapter, meaning to exist in an animate sense. Seriously, that error is seppuku worthy, (or at least would draw indignant and surprised remarks from my Japanese teachers).

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata stared at the cup on the kitchen counter in front of her, half filled with water. Well, some might say it's half empty. She blinked, her eyes straining against the fatigue she felt and the single, slightly flickering light that she had on over by the sink. Tomorrow…

Hinata looked up at the wall clock. Well, actually today…

"What'cha doin' up so late…" Naruto asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. Hinata smiled. She'd lied to her father, claiming that the night before the fight she would need to sleep outside the house to prepare mentally. Although strictly speaking, that wasn't a lie… she had just implied that she meant on her own.

Instead she found herself sleeping in one of the spare rooms at Naruto's house. She'd wanted to be close to him tonight, because she didn't know how the fight was going to turn out. If anything, she'd hoped sleeping here would help put her at ease. No such luck.

"Can't sleep…" she said softly. "Too nervous."

Naruto looked over at the clock, then back at her.

"Hina-chan, it's past two. You need to rest." He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to his chest. She sighed contentedly as the warmth of being held in his arms spread rapidly across her body. She could feel his warm breath on her neck.

"It's not fair," Hinata whimpered, her voice cracking slightly. "I don't want to be the head of the clan. I don't want to fight Neji, or send my sister to have that terrible seal put on her." She sniffed a few times as Naruto held her tighter, her back conforming to his chest. "I don't want to worry about what the clan thinks or what my father thinks, or how every little thing I do and say can affect so many people."

"I know, Hime." Naruto ran his hands over her stomach and gave her a kiss on the head. "Raoul didn't want to be the Reifujin." He paused for a moment. "Maybe that's what means that you're the right person for the job though… that you don't want it."

Hinata smiled and sighed.

"Sounds like something Sora would say…" A comfortable silence fell between them, pierced only by their own thoughts.

"I miss her," Naruto said softly. Hinata looked up, behind her at Naruto's face. He wore such a sad expression.

"I do too," Hinata said. "She'll be here soon though, I know it." Naruto nodded, grinning.

"She'd kill me for having you over tonight." Hinata blinked at Naruto before smiling sheepishly.

"It's not like we haven't spent the last three years sleeping in the same house…" Naruto chuckled.

"Yeah, but she wouldn't care. I'd get a week of Silence no Jutsu…" Hinata smiled.

"Naruto…" He looked down at her. She seemed hesitant, and shy… she hadn't acted like that in a while. "Do you think it would be okay… if we slept in the same bed tonight?" Her face was a deep red by the time she finished, and Naruto took a few seconds to register what she had said.

"Sure!" he said enthusiastically, then seeming to startle at the volume of his own voice he quickly continued. "I don't want you to think I'm some kind of pervert…" She smiled nervously.

"No, nothing like that…" she looked down for a moment at the counter, before turning in his arms to face him. "I just… I'd like to fall asleep in your arms…" Hinata, if it was possible, blushed even deeper, although Naruto began to sport a blush of his own.

"I think I'd like that…" Naruto said quietly. They slowly walked off to Naruto's bedroom, both knowing that a big day was ahead of them.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto awoke with start. Something was missing… he felt alone. That's right, Hinata slept in his bed last night. Naruto looked around, not seeing the blue haired girl anywhere.

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto called out. He heard noise outside his door, and it opened moments later to reveal the girl of his dreams, fully dressed for the day. She smiled.

"I have to go early today, because of the fight. You'll be there, right?" Naruto yawned and smiled.

"Do you even have to ask?" She smiled at him, then left, closing the door gently behind her. Naruto rolled onto his back, arms behind his head, giving a contented sigh.

"Well… I guess I gotta get to work too." He got up and began to dress.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"What do you want?" Shikamaru asked lazily. He was lying on his back staring as the clouds passed by. Naruto, who had just walked up the small, grassy hill, had stopped as soon as Shikamaru spoke.

"I have a favor to ask," Naruto said. Shikamaru looked at the blond with a sigh.

"Why do you need a favor?" Naruto shook his head.

"It's not for me… it's for Hinata." Shikamaru sat up and considered what favor Hinata could possibly need that she wouldn't ask herself.

"Sounds like a lot of work," Shikamaru said dismissively. Naruto broke out into a grin.

"Yeah, but I know you're a good friend Shikamaru." The lazy boy smirked as he looked back up at the clouds.

"Maybe that's my problem," he said jokingly. Shikamaru slowly got to his feet with a sigh. "So where are we going?" Naruto's smile grew.

"Well first we've got to get some more people." Shikamaru sighed.

"Figures… more work."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"You're late," Tsunade said, annoyed. Kakashi didn't show any reaction.

"Sorry, Hokage-sama." Tsunade closed her eyes, scoffing.

"You're over a week late."

"Sorry, Hokage-sama."

"Just _why_ are you late?" Kakashi stopped looking straight forward, instead meeting Tsunade's gaze. There was no lying to the Hokage.

"I was meeting with Sora, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Whatever the reason, she hadn't been expecting that. Further, she couldn't ever recall explaining anything about Sora to Kakashi… and even _she_ didn't know where it was Sora was staying.

"I see," she said calmly. "How do you know her?" Kakashi hesitated.

"I can't explain… I made a promise to The Fourth…" Tsunade suddenly realized what he was saying. _Of course! This fits perfectly with what Jiraiya discovered about Naruto._

"I know about Nanashi and the Fourth, and I know about Naruto." Kakashi couldn't hide the surprise on his face at that statement. How had she found out?

"I see."

"Jiraiya found out from Naruto. Only him and me know." Kakashi nodded. "So you know where she is staying then?"

"Yes."

"Any chance you could tell me?" Kakashi looked pained. Tsunade felt a bit guilty at putting him in this position.

"If… if it is to help Konoha survive, I will of course tell you, but otherwise… I would prefer to not… if that is okay…" Tsunade nodded.

"No, it isn't critical." She searched Kakashi's mostly hidden face for answers. "Do you think she will come?" She was surprised at how emphatically Kakashi nodded.

"I am sure of it." Tsunade looked down at her papers.

"Well, if you are not busy for the rest of the day, I'd like to invite you to watch something special." Kakashi raised his only visible eyebrow.

"Oh? What is that?" Tsunade smirked.

"An entire clan being proven wrong."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto and Shikamaru stood outside the door, waiting.

"Do you think he's not home?" Shikamaru shook his head.

"No, he's home, just being lazy." Naruto shrugged and raised his hand to knock again, when the door finally opened.

"Naruto," Kiba said. "Shikamaru." He looked between them. "What's going on?" Shikamaru sighed.

"It's troublesome, but Naruto needs to get all of us together as a favor to Hinata." Kiba looked at Naruto with a cautious look.

"Hinata, huh?" Naruto nodded. Kiba made a sound something like a growl. "I don't understand why she liked you. And she _always_ liked you!" He looked back into his house for a moment before sighing and grabbing his jacket. "Alright. I'm always willing to help Hinata." Naruto smiled.

"Thanks Kiba. You're an important friend of hers." Kiba nodded, waiting for Akamaru.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata breathed in deeply. Meditation exercises had been so difficult for her before she left. On reflection, _everything_ had been difficult before she left. Except for loving Naruto.

She let her breath out.

She was sitting cross-legged in the clan shrine, preparing for her match. If she was going to beat Neji, it would be only because she successfully used Intention with the Jyuuken. Something she had yet to accomplish.

But so much was riding on this… she was afraid that Neji might do something stupid. He had been adamant about her using the seal on him, but she had refused time and time again, saying that she was the clan heir, and would not be bound by other's decisions. Where was that confidence now? Where was her resolve?

"I see we have more in common now, Hinata-sama." She opened her eyes, looking to her right where Neji was sitting in a similar position. She had been meditating with such focus she must have not heard him enter. "Have you changed your mind about your strategy?" Hinata turned forward again, closing her eyes.

"I have not." Neji closed his eyes to begin his meditation.

"I see."

Hinata was not sure how much time had passed, but as always, she somehow just knew when it was time to stop her meditation, and quietly got to her feet, noticing that Neji was no longer in the room.

As she left the shrine, she heard her name in the hall and turned to see Hanabi.

"Nee-san," Hanabi started. "I just wanted to tell you… good luck." Hinata smiled at her little sister. It had been very rare that Hinata had felt older than Hanabi, mostly because of skill differences, but life was something you experienced, and after her many adventures with Naruto and Sora, Hinata felt the older sister.

"Hopefully I won't need luck," Hinata said. "But, thank you. It means a lot to me." Hanabi began to leave, but Hinata put her hand on her sister's arm. "Hanabi… I won't let them seal you." Hanabi smiled, a truly warm smile.

"For that, nee-san, you'll need all the luck in the world."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Sakura heard a knock at the door, and strode over, wondering who it could be. She opened the door to find Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee, Tenten and Shino standing.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked. Naruto smiled.

"I need to ask you a favor for Hinata," Naruto explained, as he had with each of them. Sakura smiled. It was just the sort of thing she'd like a boy to do for her.

"What's the favor."

"Today she's fighting Neji because her father is trying to get her kicked out of the main branch," Kiba said with obvious distaste.

"But we're going to the match to cheer her on!" Naruto finished, getting a nod from Shino and a thumbs up from Lee. Sakura looked at Tenten.

"What about Neji?" she asked pointedly. Tenten looked very serious.

"Neji wants her to win," she said. It was obviously something difficult for her. "I trust her to not harm him if she does win." Sakura smiled. Somehow this whole thing seemed romantic. Like a display of chivalry.

"Let me get dressed."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata stood outside the arena, her skin crawling. She could hear the crowd inside, and it was much noisier than her fight with Hanabi. _I should be getting used to this… This is the third time in two years I've fought in front of an entire clan._

"They're ready," one of the servants informed her. Her traditional clothing fell loosely, and she hesitated before pushing the door open. Neji stood in the center of the arena already, having entered first being the eldest.

She walked calmly over to her place, staring forward, before discarding her robes to a near by Hyuuga, and looking at Neji. His face was expressionless, but his eyes seemed sad somehow…

"You can do it Hinata!" She heard the shout from the stands and turned her head, and nearly spilled tears. Naruto was cheering for her near the top row. But it wasn't the cheering that brought tears to her eyes; next to him were all their friends… Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino… Lee, Tenten, Shino… they were all there. She looked at Naruto's face. Had he brought them all for her?

Looking across the rest of the crowd she saw Kurenai and Tsunade, and even Kakashi was with them. In fact, it seemed as if this fight had drawn lots of interest, and looking at her father's face it seemed it was a little unnerving to him.

"Fellow Hyuuga, guests..." The crowd became silent.

"Today one of our brightest Hyuuga warriors shall show us all what it means to be Hyuuga, and how the Jyuuken is truly performed. Neji is well known as being one of the best Jyuuken users in a generation, and today we shall see him and the main branch demonstrate the depths of our capabilities." He turned and faced the contestants.

"May you fight with honor and dignity befitting your place in this clan." They both bowed, and the referee came out, just as before.

"Neji-sama, are you ready?" Neji nodded.

"Hinata-sama, are you ready?" Hinata also nodded.

"Very well. Begin." Hinata dropped into a Jyuuken stance, which caused the crowd to murmur. She was going to fight Neji in the Jyuuken style after practicing another style for three years?

Neji launched at her, delivering clean, fast strikes that Hinata was only barely able to block. He was trying to weaken her response before he used the Eight Trigrams technique… He really was going all out.

But she could see it in his face, in his expression… he did not want to win. Even now, he was hoping for her to form the single seal and bring him to the ground in utter agony.

Hinata forced chakra into her arms and blocked low, throwing a counter-punch high, forcing Neji to jump back. Her increased chakra reservoirs and control were allowing her to deflect his blows, but she hadn't been able to take the initiative yet.

Neji paused for a moment, as if to study her, then launched into another attack, this one faster, but with less power. He was trying to wear her down even slower by going so fast that she couldn't block. But her training had taught her something even better than blocking: dodging. Why use force and effort to stop an attack when you could just avoid it all together?

Hinata slid to the side and sent a powerful Jyuuken strike to Neji's arm, only to have it deflected by his other palm as he swirled suddenly in a great vortex of chakra.

"Kaiten!" Hinata was thrown back and had to roll in order to land on her feet. She should have expected that.

Neji charged once more, this time he was almost nothing but a blur, and while Hinata was blocking his blows, she felt as if it was only a matter of time before Neji overpowered her.

"C'mon Hinata-chan! I believe in you!" The crowd had been mostly silent, so the declaration had been obnoxiously loud to everyone else there. Most of the Hyuuga turned and looked at the blond ninja.

_His face…_ Hiashi said, looking at the boy. _That look he's giving her…_ He turned back to see an empowered Hinata throw Neji off once more.

"Hinata," Hiashi said, causing both of the contestants to stop, and everyone to refocus on him. "Do you love him?" If anyone had been talking before, they weren't now. The arena became deathly silent. Hinata nodded.

"I do." Hiashi looked back at the blond.

"And you?"

"How could I _not_ love Hinata-chan!?" Naruto asked, annoyed. Hiashi turned back to the field.

"I absolutely refuse," he declared firmly. "You are not to see this boy any longer." Naruto was about to launch into a loud protest, when he felt a large killing intent come from the field.

"I would never let you control that, father." Hinata talked with a calm voice that betrayed her anger more than any shouting ever could have. "You have no more control over that than you do the rivers flowing towards the ocean, or the clan once I take your place."

The Hyuuga's present gasped at the statement. That was a direct challenge of power to the head of the clan, father or not. Hiashi paused for a moment.

"I will concede that I have little power over such things once I relinquish my place to my heir, however, if you are not that heir, you _will_ have the seal placed, and as long as you wear the seal, you _will_ obey that command." Hinata shot a look of pure venom at her father, and was surprised to see a look of open hatred cross Neji's face as well, if only for a moment.

"So then it depends on who is heir," Hinata said. Hiashi nodded.

"_That_ depends on this fight. Continue please." Hiashi returned to his seat, and Hinata and Neji faced each other once more. He pleaded with her silently once more to use the seal. But could she?

_If that is the choice, Neji or Naruto, how do I choose?_ She looked up at Tenten. _How is what I feel for Naruto worth more than what she feels for Neji? How is that fair?_

She wasn't sure what to do, until she remembered a conversation she'd had with Sora while they were at the house.

* * *

"_What is it Hinata?" Sora asked. Hinata had just walked in with a troubled look on her face._

"_How do you do it? How do you always know the right thing to do?" Sora frowned. She certainly would never say she always knew the right thing to do._

"_I don't," she said plainly. "I just never accept that my only options are bad ones." Hinata looked at __her questioningly._

"_What do you mean?" Sora became very serious, and bent down so that she was eye level with Hinata._

"_Hinata, many times it feels like you have to choose between a bad choice and a worse choice, but I've never believed that." She smiled. "Neither does Naruto. We both believe that you can make your own destiny if you are truly intent on it."_

"_But how?" Hinata thought back to her father and sister. "How do you make a new path?" Sora's smile disappeared._

"_Never give up. Never let someone else tell you it's impossible, Hinata, because as long as you do that, it never will be."_

* * *

"Destiny…" Hinata muttered. Neji cocked his head.

_Did she say what I think she did?_

Hinata closed her eyes and began to take deep breaths. Everything depended on her winning, and nothing was going to stop her from that. Focus on the goal. Naruto…

Pull up the chakra, and set your intention.

* * *

"_Are all the different principals of intention the same?" Hinata asked. Naruto was spending the last six months before they returned trying to teach her intention._

"_No, each is different. Chakra is the energy of everything, and in lots of ways it kind of has a mind of its own." He posed thoughtfully. "Nori told me that chakra was almost like a living thing, and yet… not. Chakra can be evil, or good. And I suppose it has intentions and such._

"_But…" Naruto stopped. "He warned me of the nature of each of the different principals of chakra. But he warned me against ever using one of them unless it was to protect a special person… I guess chakra knows when you're lying or something." He gave a goofy grin. Hinata giggled, giving him a warm hug._

* * *

Love. I love Naruto, and I'm going to prove it to everyone. I'm going to forge my own destiny through that love.

Unwind and go.

Ripples of chakra flowed off Hinata and she seemed to fly to where Neji was. He quickly used Kaiten, only to be tripped by a Jyuuken strike moments later.

_She hit me through the Kaiten!_

Neji jumped back quickly, preparing as she rushed forward. The blows and blocks were entirely different. It was as if she understood the Jyuuken on a level no person ever could, as if it were a part of her being.

_This must be what intention truly is…_

Neji put everything he had into the fight, getting hit a fair amount, but landing a few blows of his own. It seemed entirely different now.

The crowd was looking on in amazement. It was almost like what Hinata had done in her fight with Hanabi, but the form was clearly that of the Jyuuken. Hiashi looked on in stunned silence, unable to figure out how Hinata had accomplished such a feat.

_How much do I really know about my daughter?_

Hinata struck Neji's shoulder, closing a tenketsu, only to have one of hers in her forearm closed. She jumped back, still radiating chakra. Neji jumped back as well. This next strike would decide it. One of them would be defeated.

They rushed at each other, both shouting, preparing to strike, and as they did, the chakra flashed brightly, forcing everyone to look away. The sounds had stopped. Someone was down. Looking down on the field as the light subsided, everyone saw Hinata, eyes closed, standing over an unconscious Neji. She took several deep breaths before releasing her chakra.

Looking up at the crowd, Hinata suddenly felt very naked, as if she were being studied by every person in the stands. Looking over, she noticed Neji lying down and rushed over, checking to make sure he was alright. Good, just unconscious.

_What happened? Right before the last strike, he had much better position. There's no way he missed._ She thought about the strike for a moment, before a realization dawned on her. He'd flinched. He'd purposely missed the last attack. She wiped a tear from her eyes. _Thank you Neji._

"Father," she said, standing again and walking towards the place where he sat. "_I_ am the heir. Do not further test me, as I find it insulting. Am I not your daughter? Am I not strong like an heir should be?" Her anger was giving her confidence to say the things she must.

Hiashi, for his part, was wearing an expression approaching something close to shame. Perhaps he'd lost sight of the things that were important, as Hinata had told him not that many nights before.

"As you say, it is quite evident. You are the heir." There was of course no other response. The crowd finally allowed themselves to applause, and Hinata smiled. She had chosen her own destiny. Hinata turned to the crowd and bowed.

All of their friends in the stands were cheering, and Hinata smiled sheepishly up at them.

"Yeah! You showed 'em Hinata!" Sakura shouted. Ino was right next to her to chime in.

"Way to show them how strong you've become!"

After a short while, people began to leave to arena, and Hinata went up to see Naruto and her friends.

"Great job!" Lee shouting, giving his good-guy pose. Everyone there was anxious to talk to Hinata, since because of her training they'd had few chances so far to do so after her return.

After a few minutes of conversation, Hinata spotted Naruto, looking at her from behind Kiba, and walked over to give him a hug. Naruto smiled and wrapped his arms around her, drawing some teasing jeers from their friends.

"You," Hiashi said walking over, pointing at Naruto. The two quickly jumped apart. "You are joining us for dinner tonight." The happy expression and color drained from his face at once.

"Y-Yes, Hiashi-sama." All of them were silent as they watched Hiashi walk away, the arena now practically empty.

"Well," Shikamaru began, "what would you like your tombstone to say?" Naruto grumbled.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Hinata told him. He looked at her smiling face and couldn't help but feel better.

"I hope you're right."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

There they stood, outside of the dining room, ready to enter, and Naruto was more wound up than he'd been before the showdown with the Kaze. Fighting for your life was one thing, but having dinner with your girlfriend's father?

"There's nothing to worry about," Hinata said reassuringly. Naruto was still nervous.

"Your father's… frightening." Hinata laughed. "I'm serious!" Hinata rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad." She straightened out his clothes, dusting them off. "There. Let's go." Naruto opened the door they'd been standing in front of, allowing her to enter the dining room, before closing the door behind him. The name tags for them were near the head of the long table, though only three spots were set.

With some feeling of impending doom, Naruto noticed that Hiashi's place was at the head, right next to both him and Hinata.

"I don't know what to do," Naruto said. Hinata smiled.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine."

It was only a few minutes before Hiashi entered the room, and quietly sat in his seat. Within moments, several Hyuuga entered the room with plates containing a variety of foods. Naruto for a moment forget his predicament as he contemplated the delicious meal ahead. As soon as the food was placed and the servants left, Hiashi turned to Naruto.

"You may help yourself." Naruto cautiously grabbed some of the main course, a duck dish it seemed, before dishing up Hinata a portion of the same food. She quietly thanked him. Hiashi watched like a hawk, paying attention to every little thing the boy did. To his surprise, Naruto made sure Hinata was taken care of before he moved on to the next dish, until each of their plates were taken care of.

As Naruto sat back in his seat, he turned to look at Hiashi, and quickly realized that now him and Hinata had full plates, while Hiashi's was empty.

"Ah, excuse me Hiashi-sama, I should have offered you as well." Hiashi waved his hand before reaching for the duck – his favorite.

"It is nothing." Hiashi finished putting the food on his plate quickly, and took a bite, allowing both Hinata and Naruto to finally dig in.

"So tell me," Hiashi began. "What makes you think you would be a good husband for a clan heir, Naruto?" Naruto swallowed the bit in his mouth before grinning, while Hinata blushed at the implication of his question.

"Well I'm gonna be Hokage, and that's just the kind of person that would be good for any kind of clan heir." Hiashi smirked.

"What makes you think you'll be Hokage? Many try and fail… many better ninja's than you." Naruto's face became very serious.

"It's in my blood." The statement was slightly chilling, and had many possible meanings. Was he referring to the demon? Surely that would work against him, not for him. "Each of us can make our own destinies if we try hard enough," Naruto said. "And whatever my faults, I've never been accused of not trying hard enough." Hiashi nodded, not wishing to argue.

"True." They ate in silence for a few moments, before Hiashi spoke again.

"Tell me about your training," Hiashi said simply. Naruto instantly broke out in a smile. This was a much more comfortable conversation.

For the rest of the dinner, Naruto and Hinata gave Hiashi a detailed account of their adventures with Sora, and some of the things they learned. Hiashi got a sour look on his face when Hinata told him about Sora encouraging her to abandon the Jyuuken, but was genuinely interested in their account of how they used it against the Kaze.

Of course… certain things were omitted. Hinata probably would have lost consciousness if she'd explained any of her and Naruto's time together as a couple, even though it was entirely innocent. It just wasn't something that Hinata wanted to recount to her father over dinner. Naruto seemed to understand this, and avoided the topic as well.

And while Naruto was forbidden to reveal what happened with Kisame, he could give a general idea of the fight. Several things impressed Hiashi; from Naruto's will to protect Hinata, to Hinata's ability to summon that Sora had taught her. Afterward, he felt slightly foolish for his quick judgment of Hinata's abilities.

Soon, dinner was over, and the three found themselves at the entrance of the clan compound. While not exactly enjoyable, it hadn't been nearly as bad as Naruto had feared. As he stood at the gates of the compound, the night over, he even found the courage to give Hinata a hug and a kiss on the cheek, much to Hiashi's amusement.

"Good night, Hina-chan."

"Good night, Naru-kun."

He slowly disappeared around the corner, heading home.

"I must admit, he is not anything like he is described," Hiashi said, still staring down the street.

"I've found many things in life are like that father." Hiashi looked down at his daughter.

"Watching you fight Neji with such resolve and passion made me realize something Hinata." She looked up at him surprised. "True power comes from within… we are all taught that as part of our Jyuuken training. But what if the power from within conflicts with what is external?

"After the fight I went to look at some of the old scrolls on our form. I don't know why, but I felt like I should. It was while going over this principal that I haven't heard since I was learning the Jyuuken all those years ago that I finally saw what it was you were saying." Hiashi sighed.

"There is more than one way to attain true power, but more importantly, there is more than one kind of true power to attain." He looked up at the darkening sky. It had been a long day. "You are the heir… I will not contest that any longer. But I am your father, and I am the current clan head, and you must respect that.

"What you said at the arena was disrespectful and uncalled for." Hinata frowned. "However, my actions were in some sense also uncalled for. Because of this, I will not hold any of those against you, and I hope you extend me the same consideration.

"The Jyuuken is our family's pride, Hinata. You cannot so blithely discard it. But I recognize that there are other kinds of power and pride. You may continue to date Naruto, and you may take the Jounin exam." He looked down at her, an odd expression in his eyes. "I hope I can understand you one day… Hinata…" He turned and began to leave.

"And," he said without stopping or looking back, "you do remind me of your mother."

Hinata stood silent and stunned as she watched him disappear into the clan house. A huge smile broke over her face.

**Author's Note:** Well it's only about _four_ months this time, so consider yourselves lucky!

Actually, I really am sorry… I hope this chapter makes up for it. With this we are now done with the first arc of the story, and will enter the second arc in the next chapter. The next arc is going to be angsty, so be prepared.

As for what I've been up to? Trying to start my own business actually. Living is expensive, and I'm tired of living at other people's whims. Ironically, starting your own business means you live at the behest of others even more…

In that vein, you can visit the site for my new Web Development Firm at www [dot] heliumdesigns [dot] com. Not that I'm asking you to have me build a website, just that you can see some of the stuff I do for a living.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please let me know what you think by hitting the review button directly below.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Pre-note:** Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. They've been amazing.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"I'm tired," Miki whined, dragging her feet slightly. Yasu gave her daughter a small, fond smile.

"We'll be there soon," she told the five year old. Sora was happy for her friend. It seemed as if she was really healing from the death of her husband. Miki looked down at the dirt.

"I wish daddy was here," she grumbled. "He'd carry me." Sora saw Yasu flinch slightly, before her expression filled with resolve.

"Come here sweet-heart. I'll carry you for a bit."

Yasu bent over, and Miki enthusiastically clambered on to her back. Yasu groaned as she stood up. It wasn't that Yasu wasn't strong enough to carry Miki, it was just that they were at the end of a two-day journey, and in that situation a five-year-old wears you down pretty thin.

"How much further?" Yasu asked softly. Sora grinned.

"Maybe two miles," Sora drawled. Yasu grunted. "You know… we could always go the long way around and see the _beautiful_ memorial stone. That is, if Miki wants to."

"Oh yeah! Can we mom? Please?" Yasu looked at Sora dangerously.

"Sure."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Just a few months until the exam," Naruto muttered slowly to himself. He was sitting in the lotus position, eyes closed, going through his thoughts. It was still difficult for him to focus his mind and slow down his head… old habits die hard. Life had taught him that there was little to be gained from thinking that couldn't be gained later through perseverance. Or at least, most of his life had taught him that.

After Nori… well it was the whole trip really. He didn't feel like the same person. He didn't feel… like a child. Naruto nodded his head, deciding that was it. He felt older somehow. Not just that he'd gained years, but something more. Maybe that's what people called wisdom.

_I should try my technique again,_ Naruto thought to himself, preparing to use Intention with his meditation as he had been for a few weeks now.

The results had been… interesting. It was almost as if he was communing with the elements themselves, and was having conversations with them. That wasn't really a good description he knew, as he never had anything to say, and they never had anything to tell, but all the same, he felt a two way flow of understanding.

And he felt an immense improvement in his chakra control. If only he had better control of the fox's chakra… Naruto pushed the thought from his mind. No use worrying about something he couldn't change.

Naruto reached out with his chakra, the familiar explosion of sensation and understanding that he was beginning to associate with the meditation coming instantly. The wind always seemed to speak the loudest, but all of the elements had something to say.

He often felt a similar feeling during these sessions as he did when experiencing the fox's chakra. As if he was being flooded with an understanding and power and wisdom that he couldn't even hope to comprehend.

The earth told him first, then the wind soon after. Someone was approaching the clearing…

Naruto slowly pulled back his chakra. He always seemed to come away with a better feeling if he slowly reeled himself in, as if he was a house guest and he didn't want to dash out without properly saying his good-byes. He opened his eyes and glanced over to where the person was coming from.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted, realizing who it was. He quickly rose to his feet, dusting himself off as he ran over to see his girlfriend. She smiled sweetly and they embraced for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of each other.

Hinata held him tighter than usual it seemed. Naruto had noticed that since the dinner with her father Hinata had been acting a little differently. She'd been moodier; both happier and sadder, swinging between the two more often than she had before.

Naruto shrugged it off, chalking it up to a "girl thing". Thinking back to all the girls he knew, they seemed to swing between moods rather quickly, no reason Hinata couldn't as well he figured. After all, she was a girl.

"What's going on?" Naruto inquired. Hinata's smile faltered a bit.

"Does something have to be going on for me to see you?" Naruto looked at her thoroughly confused.

"Uh, what?" He lifted an eyebrow, as if questioning her sincerity. "You don't usually visit me while I'm out meditating. I just figured…" He trailed off, unsure if he'd said something wrong.

"Never mind," Hinata said, her enthusiasm and smile returning full force. "I wanted to let you know! Sora finally got here. She's at your house now. She wanted to see you before she went and talked to Hokage-sama."

Naruto was instantly full of energy, jumping up and down a few times before he grabbed Hinata in a huge hug and rushed off towards Konoha. "C'mon!" he shouted over his shoulder as he ran. Hinata laughed at his antics as she followed, his mood was absolutely infectious.

It took them just a few minutes before they were at his front door, and sure enough the lights were on, though it was only midday. Naruto opened the door, Hinata right behind him, and was immediately greeted with a bewildered Miki.

"Hi uncle Naruto!" The young girl ran up and hugged his legs. Naruto patted her on the back as he saw Sora peek out into the hallway, a grin spreading across her face.

"Hey brat!" Sora called to him. Miki let go of his legs, turning her attention to Hinata, and Naruto walked over to give Sora a hug. He was much more comfortable now with physical contact having dated Hinata for so long. They quickly broke apart, and walked into the dining area where Yasu was sitting at the table sipping some tea, Hinata and Miki wandering in moments later.

Naruto took a seat, grinning like a madman, and wasn't sure where to start, but fortunately Sora saved him the trouble.

"How have you been?" she asked. Naruto, remembering the last two months, wondered where to start, but Hinata spoke up.

"Well, when we got here, things got interesting quickly."

Hinata and Naruto launched into an explanation of what had ensued, from the initial conversation with Tsunade, all the way down to the dinner with Hiashi. Naruto accidentally let slip that Hinata had spent the night before the fight at his house, which caused her to blush immensely, but thankfully he caught himself before mentioning anything about them sharing a bed. Sora, for her part, simply gave Naruto a stern look, who had the grace to look a bit ashamed, before whipping out her camera and taking a picture of the two. By the end of the story, Sora was beaming at them.

Naruto was about to ask Sora what her time had been like when there was a knock at the door. Confused, Naruto quickly answered only to see a familiar white-haired Cyclops.

"I heard there was a banshee visiting at your house so I thought—" The sound of a toppling chair cut him off as an irate Sora rounded the corner into the hallway.

"_What_ did you call me Hatake?" The Jounin gulped. It was never a good sign when she used his last name. Naruto glanced between them suspiciously.

"Ma, I was just telling Naruto that I heard he had visitors and was stopping by to say hello." Naruto scrutinized his face, or what little of it he could see, for a few more seconds before waving the Jounin in to the dining room.

Yasu glanced at Kakashi, then back to Sora, catching her eye for a moment.

"Hinata, could you come with me for a minute? I had some research I wanted your opinion on." Hinata, being incredibly perceptive, knew something was up, but she knew that if it was important she'd hear about it later.

Glancing at Hinata's retreating form, Naruto turned back to Sora and Kakashi, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. They had a look on their faces like they were planning something.

"Well…" Sora began, glancing over at Miki who was occupying herself in the living room. "Before I came back Kakashi-baka came out on a recon mission and stopped by Nanashi's house." She gave him an evil eye. "And while he was there, I _convinced him_ to sit down and talk with you about… you know… your father."

Naruto's expression relaxed. He hadn't pressed that issue with Kakashi because he was still a little upset at never being told anything about his parents, but he certainly was interested to hear about the Fourth. He looked between them carefully, before nodding.

"I think I'd like that," he said in a quiet voice. Kakashi looked at him seriously, trying to show that he cared about the conversation as opposed to the air of indifference he usually held.

"Naruto, I want you to know that I didn't mean for this to happen." Kakashi's single eye glanced at the young blond before staring at the table in apparent thought. "Sensei would have been upset with what happened; with everything that's happened."

Naruto wanted so badly to talk. Serious conversations always made him feel uncomfortable, and the way he dealt with that was being loud. But Naruto didn't hear Kakashi speak seriously very often, and he wanted to make sure Kakashi kept going.

"I'll tell you a bit about the Fourth, but first… there's something I want to tell you about me." Kakashi looked up at the last part, directly at Sora. Naruto glanced between them. Was Kakashi talking to him? "I want to tell you," Kakashi said slowly, still staring at Sora, "how I got my Sharingan."

Naruto and Sora were both shocked at this. Naruto had never heard him talk about it at all, not even in a joke or in passing. Sora knew whose Sharingan it was… but he'd never told her how it happened. The white-haired cyclops sighed and collected his thoughts.

"I had become a Jounin not long before. It was during the war with Iwa, and we were on a mission to a bridge." Kakashi paused, a faraway look on his face. "I wasn't a very good teammate, Naruto." The boy scoffed. All the Jounin ever talked about was teamwork.

"That's hard to believe, sensei." Kakashi gave him one of those short, piercing, lazy stares before looking back into empty space.

"Rin and… Obito. Obito Uchiha. I didn't care much for them. I always felt like they held me back… a lot like how Sasuke would act with you and Sakura." Kakashi grinned under his mask. It seemed it was becoming easier for him to talk. "Obito was a lot like you, Naruto. He was not your typical Uchiha. He was a very good friend, and he rejected the stoic superiority that most Uchiha had.

"Part of that was that his clan viewed him as useless. You see, Obito was never able to awake his bloodline. Because of that, and because of his view that Konoha was more important than the clan, most Uchiha shunned him."

Kakashi looked briefly at Naruto, but the blond felt like Kakashi wasn't seeing him. It was like the Jounin was looking at Naruto's face and seeing something different. The way he was talking, Naruto had a pretty good guess what that was.

"But just like you, Naruto, Obito never let that get him down. He was always smiling and laughing and finding the things that were important to him, and never letting go." Kakashi sighed. "But war isn't kind to the optimistic. It wasn't any more dangerous than the missions we had done before, but that was the biggest problem. I was overconfident, and Obito wanted to prove his worth. Rin… would have agreed to anything we decided. And your father… your father wanted to help me.

"But we were ambushed." Kakashi paused for several seconds. "In the end… Obito saved me. He activated his Sharingan and saved my life, taking my place. I walked over to him. At the time, I didn't understand it. I didn't understand why he saved me. I didn't understand how he could ever be gone forever…"

Kakashi reached up and softly touched his covered eye. His expression was the same as it always was, but it was obvious that he was affected by the memory.

"As he died, he gave me his eye. He told me to take it, and remember him."

Naruto nodded. So many things made more sense. The way that Kakashi treated Team 7, and his insistence on teamwork were given cause, and Naruto could finally understand why Kakashi had always been so focused on Sasuke. He had been trying to teach Sasuke something more important than fighting; a lesson that had been painful for him. Naruto suddenly steeled his resolve.

"Well don't worry, sensei," Naruto said surely. "I'm not gonna die on you or the stuck-up Uchiha prick!" Kakashi smiled fondly, his spirits obviously lifted. Naruto was good at that.

"Now, how about your father?" Kakashi drawled slowly. Naruto looked at him eagerly. "What do you want to know?" Naruto thought for a moment.

The question he really wanted to ask he suspected Kakashi couldn't answer. In fact, he was fairly certain that no one except his father knew the answer to the question he cared about the most. Instead, Naruto decided to ask about the simple things.

"What was he like before he was Hokage?" Kakashi smiled, thinking back to his old sensei.

"Minato was unique. He didn't have a past really, but he never let that stop him or get him down."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, nodding. "Jiraiya told me how he found him." Sora looked at her little brother startled.

"When did that happen?" she asked. Naruto shrugged.

"A month ago… maybe two." Kakashi jumped in, getting the conversation back on topic.

"Well, I don't know too much about what he was like at the academy, but since I graduated, he was an amazing sensei. He believed in hard work, but even more so in community." Kakashi looked Naruto right in the eye. "Your father believed very much that Konoha was bigger than anyone here."

"Sounds like Jiji," Naruto said, thinking of the Third. Kakashi nodded.

"I know that it's part of why he chose your father to become Hokage. Your father loved this village." Kakashi grew thoughtful for a moment. "The only thing he loved more than this village was your mother." Naruto perked up.

"Why did they love each other?" Sora gave him a skeptical look before jumping in.

"Kid, why does Hinata love you?" Naruto looked taken aback at the inquiry.

"How should I know? I've been trying to figure that one out for a while!" Sora smiled at him.

"Exactly."

Naruto had a face of understanding for a moment, before smirking.

"Why didn't they live together then? I remember what me and Sora talked about but… I just…" He wanted it so badly. Talking with the two of them, his parents seemed more real. These were people that had _actually_ talked with his mother and father. That had _actually_ known them.

For these people, his parents had been living, breathing humans that they'd loved and hated, laughed and cried with; that they'd kept secrets from and kept secrets for.

"Naruto…" Kakashi began, tilting his head to the side, thinking. "Your father was bound by duty to the village. You remember how the Third always used to talk about the purpose of the Hokage? Your father exemplified that more than anyone I knew." He looked back at Naruto. "Your father wanted everything to work out, but the villagers can be… troublesome at times. You understand that I'm sure."

Naruto looked down, thinking of his own past. "Yeah…"

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. It made Sora nervous, and she was about to talk when a knock sounded at the door. Hinata and Yasu came around the corner, interested in who was visiting at this hour, as Naruto got up and went to open the door.

"Hey," Naruto said curtly, eyeing the ANBU with reservation. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to retrieve Sora," the masked ninja said simply. Naruto rolled his eyes. The old hag couldn't wait it seemed.

"Sora-nee-chan, looks like baa-chan doesn't want to wait for you anymore." Naruto could hear indistinct grumbling as she came into view and approached the door. She stopped and looked at the ANBU briefly before turning to Naruto.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," she said. "Get Yasu and Miki settled if you can." Naruto nodded. He had more questions for Kakashi as well.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

The Sannin snorted. He simply couldn't believe he was doing this… so much valuable research was being lost… But he'd made up his mind. This was too important, and he owed Minato this much. Plus things were getting… interesting.

Jiraiya stepped up to the house, its familiarity bringing him momentarily back to a happier time when his best student was still alive… still smiling. He sighed and knocked on the door. After some thumping behind the door, a familiar tuft of blond hair greeted the older man as it opened slowly.

"Ero-sennin?" Jiraiya grimaced slightly. He hated it when the kid said that. "What are you doing here?" Jiraiya gave him one of his big smiles.

"I heard some new women rolled into town and are at your house," he said mischievously, his fingers twitching in what Naruto felt was a rather threatening manner. Naruto eyed him suspiciously.

"Both of them would skin you alive if you tried," Naruto said evenly. "What are you really here for?" Jiraiya sighed.

"I promised I would train you," Jiraiya said sternly. "I keep promises." A blue-haired head popped out into the hall, staring in Naruto's direction.

"Who is it, Naruto?" The blond opened the door a little more and smiled.

"Ero-sennin!" Hinata 'meep'ed and bowed quickly.

"Jiraiya-sama!" Hinata rushed over and opened the door. "Come in!"

While Naruto complained to Hinata, ("But I've told you how perverted he is!") and Hinata tried to contain her reaction, ("You at least invite him in!") Jiraiya couldn't contain his smile. They looked like a married couple. His favorite student would be proud.

"Don't worry about it, Hinata-san," Jiraiya broke in. "Naruto and I have to leave anyway." Both of them stopped mid-sentence and gave him a confused look.

"We're training now?" Naruto finally asked. Jiraiya gave an overly enthusiastic smile.

"No time like the present!" Naruto sighed and turned to Hinata.

"Ummm… I don't know how long this will take." He scratched behind his head, looking a bit sheepish. "I know it's kind of a pain, but would you mind staying and taking care of Yasu and Miki until I get back?" Hinata smiled brightly.

"Of course, Naru-kun." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, before whispering in his ear: "Good luck with your training."

She pulled back, leaving a very Hinata-like blush on Naruto's face. She smirked a bit. It made him look so cute… Naruto grumbled about 'women' and 'perverts' as he pointedly ignored Jiraiya's suggestive eyebrows.

They walked out towards the training grounds slowly, not saying anything until they finally got there. It was a different experience for both of them.

Jiraiya was an old man by Naruto's standards, and in that time he'd seen and experienced many things. In truth Jiraiya rarely let himself be around someone else without putting up a front, and often that front was bombastic and ridiculous. It wasn't a coping mechanism, it was defense mechanism. Jiraiya was a master of information, and he denied it to those around him. People had a difficult time getting a read on him through his goofy exterior.

Naruto usually attacked head on, whether it was a ninja fight, a conversation, or a feeling. There was no point in anything else. Or so he'd thought, once upon a time. In truth this was the biggest lesson he'd learned while he was with Sora: your mind can get you out of situations your heart can't, and visa versa.

In fact, as they approached the training grounds, it was lost on neither of them that the other was quiet. They _were_ in fact _having_ a conversation, and it was one that would have been completely lost on Naruto just a few short years before. Jiraiya was testing him; his silenced asked the question 'Are you serious about this?'… Naruto was answering; his silence responded 'Yes I am!'

Jiraiya gestured to the ground, a square, flat slab of rock embedded in the ground. Naruto sat on one side and Jiraiya sat at the other. They stared at each other for a few seconds, before the Sannin reached into a pouch and pulled out a scroll.

"Your father was a seal master." He rolled the scroll out, showing the first few bits of the apparently blank scroll. Naruto looked at the material curiously as Jiraiya reached back into the pouch and pulled out a bottle of ink and a brush. "It, more than any other quality, is what made him a great ninja." Naruto watched the white-haired hermit pick up the brush and dip it into the ink well before dragging it across the scroll in regular motions, the silence between them continuous.

"Nothing to say?" Jiraiya asked, half amused, not taking his eyes off the scroll. Naruto looked up at him. "No demands? No witty comment? No calling me a pervert?" The blond scrunched up his face, looking back down at the scroll.

"I take training seriously," he said simply, no hint of his normal light-hearted nature in his voice. Every time Naruto trained himself, all he could see in his mind was Nori and Itachi. In many ways, that day he lost his innocence. From then on, when he trained, he knew the stakes. Every single training session could be the difference between someone he cared about dying or living. Jiraiya nodded, recognizing the look in Naruto's eye.

"This," the older man started, "is a primer. It describes the basic principles of sealing, and gives you the first tools you need to learn sealing." Jiraiya pushed the scroll towards Naruto, who began looking it over. But the Sannin was not finished.

"Naruto," he said, an emotion the boy hadn't heard before creeping into his voice. "I know what you think about me and about my work." Naruto scoffed slightly. "But I take this seriously. I know what can be lost if you don't." Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Seriously?"

"Yes." The man gave frowned at the scroll he'd just finished. "I have only had one student before that I've given this type of instruction to. It would make sense that his son was also worthy." Naruto's heart fluttered. Such praise was quite genuine, and rarely thrown around, and Naruto was so unused to hearing it. True, both Sora and Hinata had been quite encouraging, but this was different. This was real respect.

"I won't disappoint you," Naruto said surely. Jiraiya nodded.

"Sealing is a complex art," Jiraiya intoned. Naruto looked up from the scroll again, curious. Jiraiya must truly mean what he said… he'd never actually _personally _instructed as far as Naruto knew. "And it is very much an art. There is a certain creativity to it that baffles some and lets others shine. Your father was one such man. He was known late in his career as the Yellow Flash for his own technique: Hiraishin.

"Such a technique was beyond the comprehension of most ninjas. It allowed your father to teleport instantly from anywhere to any of his seal tags." Jiraiya pulled out a small slip with an innocuous looking seal on it. "Like this. No matter the distance or circumstance, Minato could disappear to any of these, leaving behind only a bright flash of yellow light where he left.

"I was talking about art. The thing about art is that often no one is able to see a masterpiece the same way the artist is, and it was the same with Minato. No one, not even me, was able to decipher how it worked, or replicate its effect. When he… left… his secret died with him." There was a brief pause between them.

"The point is that sealing is a skill that no one can take from you, sometimes not even if they have all the parts. Not even with a Sharingan." Naruto thought on that. It was true… a blood-line limit would be useless for something that required knowledge like sealing, but it also seemed as if that knowledge wasn't required to _use_ seals.

"But seals involve the seal, which can be taken, and sometimes hand seals, which can be copied," Naruto countered. "Why can't a Sharingan steal a seal master's ability?" Jiraiya smiled, dipping the brush back in the well and holding out his left hand. On it he drew a spiral diagram in the black ink.

"It's in the seal," he said. "Some seals, like those you've encountered before, are made to work with nearly anyone, but others are not. Some are too complicated to be made that way even if you desired them so. Some, like the seal on your stomach, require components which no mortal being can provide."

"What do you know about my seal?" Naruto asked suddenly. He wasn't upset as some might expect, but it was a piece of the unknown that he couldn't resist. Jiraiya grinned.

"The jutsu that creates that seal is forbidden. It was developed by Minato, long before the Kyuubi came, and once he had finished it, you father locked it away, deciding that it was too dangerous to let others know about." Jiraiya paused, the ink beginning to dry on his left palm. "I knew about it, and so did the Third, but no one else knew." He paused again, a thoughtful look on his face. "Except perhaps your mother. I don't know what your father shared with her.

"The technique calls upon the God of Death, who creates a seal which can imprison the chakra of one person in another. No mortal could create such a seal, and the price of such a technique is the user's soul itself. So powerful is this seal that it can even hold the strongest of the tailed beasts… the Kyuubi." Jiraiya paused. Whether to collect his thoughts or for dramatic effect Naruto wasn't sure.

"To create a seal, any seal, you first need a medium. Often this is ink, such as what I have here, but many different mediums are used, and all of them require special preparation. The ink on the scroll in front of you is not simply common black ink. It is specially prepared and created for the purpose of sealing, and one of your coming lessons, the next one in fact, which be on preparing a medium. Many things, like blood, or water, or even urine can be used as a medium.

"This is part of the art of sealing. Anything correctly prepared can be used as a medium; from the obvious to the obscure, from the simple to the… less tasteful. And each medium has different properties. Seals that work with one may not work with another, or may work better. Many seal masters spend their entire lives experimenting with unique combinations of mediums, researching their properties. This is perhaps what made your father so special. From when I first began teaching him sealing at the age of 16, he had a knack for understanding mediums.

"I never knew what it was or how he did it, but your father rarely experimented with a failed medium. He always seemed to be able to improve over his last attempt, and that is a quality that will make you a fantastic seal master no matter what your other qualities may be.

"But," Jiraiya said, grunting as he pushed himself to his feet. Naruto quickly followed, rolling up the scroll and storing it. "For now, read through the primer and practice the strokes. The scroll contains the 120 most common scripts in sealing, and you will need to know them well. Many of them are like glue that holds your seals together, and the more complex the seal, the stronger the glue must be." Naruto nodded curtly, and they stared at each other for a moment, before Jiraiya broke out into a grin.

"Now, what do you say we go back and spend some time with your girlfriend!" Naruto scoffed once more before cracking a grin.

"You better be careful ero-sennin. If Hinata doesn't kill you, Hiashi will. That man is like ice."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Sora walked up the tower lackadaisically. She really wasn't looking forward to this conversation, and had hoped to put it off until tomorrow, but it seemed that the old bat was more upset than she thought, and had dragged her up here as soon as possible. She brushed one of her bubblegum braids out of the way before knocking on the door.

"Enter," the Hokage's voice called out. Sora pushed, taking a deep breath. Tsuande's lips tightened as she saw who was coming in, her eyes flashing briefly up to the ridiculous hair that she was sporting. "Nice of you to drop by," she finally bit out. Sora winced.

"Yeah, I was gonna get around to it," she replied evenly. Tsunade nodded, reach for a small stack of papers.

"Like your reports?" Tsunade pointed to the chair in front of the desk. "Please, sit." Sora heaved a sigh and slouched into the seat.

"Look, I'm sorry about the way things went on your end, but it all turned out okay. Naruto and Hinata got the training they needed, they returned safely, and they even succeeded in their mission." Tsunade cooled off a bit at hearing this. She was still skeptical of the younger girl's loyalties.

"So… you're here to stay then." It was more of a statement than a question. Sora simply shrugged before replying.

"That's the plan." Tsunade was thrilled, but also suspicious. She had most of the pieces, but this didn't fit… it didn't match what she knew.

"Why? You've never stayed anywhere before."

"I've never had a reason to." Tsunade thought for a moment before responding.

"Does this have anything to do with Naruto's father?" Sora looked a bit surprised at that before rolling her eyes.

"Told you did he? I thought I taught him to keep his mouth shut. 'Discretion is the better part of valor' and all that jazz. But noooo. I come back and what's he doing? Chilling in his father's old house." Tsunade was slightly amused.

"The house was left to him in a will," she informed the pink-haired girl. Sora looked a bit surprised. "A will that was found while he was away and didn't name Naruto to be Minato's son. So we come back to the question I asked: why are you staying?" Sora stared at the floor for a moment.

"Do you need to know? I'm here, alright?" Tsunade shook her head.

"Not for the Hokage. I have to give orders where I know what drives my ninja. I have to know why they do things, so that if they suddenly disappear on us, it is part of a calculated risk." Tsunade sighed. "I have to know that you won't just up and leave again Sora. And no matter what you say, I can't know that unless I know why you're here."

"Because of him," Sora said simply, a faraway look filling her face. "Because of Naruto."

"Why?"

"Because… Nanashi… was like a mother." Tsuande understood finally. Of course… Naruto was like her little brother… the family she could never have. It was actually poetic in a way, Tsunade felt. They'd both lost their families to the Kyuubi, but now they had each other.

"I see. You'll be staying with Naruto then I assume." Sora nodded her head, her mood picking up a bit. "You'll be happy to hear that Hinata has worked out… differences… with her clan. Naruto and her are past most of their trouble on that end."

"Yeah, the runts gave me the long version before I came here, including some priceless embarrassment of Hinata on Naruto's part," Sora said with a smile.

"On that note," Tsunade said, an odd glint in her eyes, "you _did_ make sure that nothing… unchaste… happened between them, right?" Sora broke into raucous laughter.

"I gave them so little privacy they couldn't have if they wanted too, which as far as I can tell they didn't." Sora reached into a pocket and pulled out a small box. "And I have the pictures to prove it." Tsunade burst into her own fit of laughs before motioning for the box.

"Oh, I knew I could count on you. Now let me see those."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Shouldn't you be getting home soon?" Naruto asked, a playful smile crossing his face. Hinata and him finally had some time alone, what with Sora still at the Hokage tower and Yasu out with Miki. She gave him a coy look.

"The sun is just barely setting, unless you don't _want_ me to be here." Naruto closed the distance between them and swept her up into a tight hug, pressing her firmly against his chest. She closed her eyes and held him tightly, relishing the moment. "I won't be able to… stay over… anymore," she said softly. "Because of Sora and Yasu…" Naruto let her go and looked directly at her, a warm smile on his face.

"Forget about that. This is my house now, not Sora's. We make our own choices." Naruto slowly lowered his head and gave her an ever-so-soft kiss on the lips. He pulled back and she still had her eyes closed for a moment before they fluttered open. "Whatever they are."

Hinata smiled at him fondly, turning to get a glass of water. Naruto scooped her into a hug from behind, startling her. He grinned maniacally.

"I love that sound," he said in an almost gruff tone. It sent shivers down Hinata's spine, and made it difficult for her to stand. She could feel the warm moisture of his breath on her neck, and it was muddling her thoughts.

"Wh—What sound?" she asked faintly.

"That little squeak you make when I surprise you," he said. She blushed, and she was sure that even if he couldn't see it from behind her, he could feel it. Naruto kissed the nape of her neck softly, his arms wrapped around her stomach, eliciting another of the squeaks that Naruto loved hearing. She could feel him grin against her skin as he placed soft kisses.

"Na… Naruto… Tha…" She stopped trying to finish the thought as Naruto hit a particularly sensitive spot near where her neck met her shoulders, and she let out a sound Naruto hadn't heard before. This was _not_ a squeak.

There was a loud sound from the front door and they jumped apart as if electrified, their faces both turning furiously red.

"I'm back!" Sora called out from the hall. Hinata busied herself with getting her cup of water, while Naruto pretended to be looking for food in the fridge. The older girl quickly walked into the kitchen and eyed them suspiciously. They were far too quiet, and the blush on Hinata's face was awfully deep. She got an evil grin across her face.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Hinata squeaked once again, before muttering something about it being time to go and heading straight out the front door, the kitchen sink water still on. Naruto glanced at the sink, then at his sister sheepishly before closing the fridge.

"Don't say a word," Naruto said. "Not a word."

"Who needs words?" Sora said brightly. There was a flash. Naruto groaned… of _course_ she still had her camera with her.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry this has taken so long. Love has a way of kicking you in the ass… and I've been sort of dealing with that. Regardless, I apologize for taking so long. Things have just been weird. I don't really feel like talking about it. Hell, I haven't even talked about it with the person who knows me best. *shrug*

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review, nice or otherwise. ^_^ There are about 670 reviews, and about 650 people have alerts set up. ~_^ Just sayin'…

I've decided to wrap up this chapter with a first ever review response. I'm going to go through some of the reviews I've gotten and respond.

**Ducks-Go-Aflack and others:** My author's note about "angst" got quite a few eyebrows raised. I can imagine why. Few stories approach angst as a real emotion. For most authors it's an emotion which you only caricature.

But it is important to remember that no relationship is "perfect". Especially when in your first real relationship as Naruto and Hinata. I am not going to force "mistakes" or such simply because I feel like it. I know why you are apprehensive, but you're just going to have to trust me.

**GinnyMyLove:** Thank you for the kind words and welcome to Naruto fandom. ^_^ I also read and write HP fanfics, but not as much or as often. And I completely agree with your assessment as to how the two fandoms are similar.

**Cerawitch:** I'm glad someone enjoyed my "10 things about Jordan" segments. They were for exactly the thing you described: I want to be friends with my readers. ^_^ That's partly what this is about as well.

**Broken Sexed Up Bloody Kitten:** It's supposed to be "Shina-To-Be" and "Shino-Tsu-Hiko". Anything other than that is a typo.

**Goodnightnurse:** I am actually toying with the idea of writing something for publication. Still not sure about that one. It's easy for everyone here to say they'd enjoy it, but it's not as easy for everyone here to purchase it.

**RhiaJ:** Thank you, and I assure you we have not seen the last of Hiashi. ~_^

**ladygoddess8:** Naruto is not teaching himself Sage Mode in his training sessions. And that's all I'm saying about that.

**Ben Lubbers:** My average writing time for a chapter is actually about… 6-8 hours of writing. About 3 days actually working on it. The entire reason for the duration between chaps comes down to how… ummm… "emotional" my life has been over the last few years.

**Zeron Tikara:** Thanks for the amazing review, but I feel I've probably addressed your concerns in other responses. Still wanted to thank you for the wonderful review. ~_^

**All my readers:** Thanks for the reviews. I do read them all, and I enjoy them. ^_^


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Pre-note:** If anyone wants to have actual conversations with me, you are free to chat with me at one of the many forums I frequent, including NarutoFan [dot] com, ViridianDreams, or especially, **at the FFN forum I created to discuss the fics I'm working on. [**** /myforums/J_R_LeDoux/139780/ ]**

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto was having trouble falling asleep. Between his first lesson in sealing with Jiraiya and his… encounter with Hinata in the kitchen, today had given him a lot to think about and it was making his mind race.

Seals were like a Pandora's Box for him. He was just discovering the tip of the iceberg, but already his thought was occupied with this whole new area of being a ninja. And he began to recognize that nearly all the great ninja he knew were versed at least moderately in sealing. Jiraiya, his father, Sora, Tsunade… all of them had at least a general ability to craft seals.

Then there was of course Hinata. Things had been… off the last couple of weeks. They'd had moments like the one in the kitchen, yet he'd get odd comments from her at seemingly random times, like when she had come to tell him Sora had arrived.

It was confusing to him in a way that nothing else ever had been. If anything else in his life had been this confusing before, he always had two options: he could simply avoid it altogether, or he could attack it directly.

But what little experience he did have with women seemed to tell him that neither of those things would work very well here. He didn't _want_ to avoid her, and he didn't think that just asking her would end well… what if he was imagining things? She'd probably be upset.

He sighed heavily, bringing his arms up and putting his hands behind his head on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. It made more sense now, what older people always used to say, about being young and having a simple life. He found a part of himself wishing for that simple life right now… a life where he didn't have to worry about a crazy Uchiha prodigy trying to kill him, or about what his girlfriend was thinking.

A sound from his window made him jump and like lightning he flew out of his bed, grabbing a kunai from the night stand. A figure was right in front of his third story window and he squinted, trying to make out who it was. His mouth curled into a smile.

"Hina-chan…" Naruto said to himself. He walked over and opened the window, pulling her inside gently before closing it once more to keep the chilly night air out.

"Naru-kun…" She looked him in the eyes. She always felt as if her very essence could melt into those cool, blue eyes. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"I wouldn't care even if I had been sleeping."

Naruto felt a bit self-conscious about the fact that he was just wearing his boxers and Hinata was dressed in her normal training attire. He looked up and down her figure. He was surprised at how he still found her beauty stunning, and how he often found a new thing about her that made her seem beautiful. Every so often it would feel as if he were seeing her for the first time again.

"I… couldn't sleep," Hinata said softly. "Is it alright… if I stay here?"

Naruto's features relaxed into a comforting smile and he pulled her into a tight embrace, her soft, long hair tickling his chest as she put her arms around him.

"Of course it is." He walked over and climbed into his bed, turning back at the girl who was simply looking at him, as if she wasn't sure what to do. "You can change into your nightgown in the bathroom," he said, trying to be helpful.

"Uh… well…" She looked down and twiddled her fingers in a motion he hadn't seen in a very long time. "I didn't bring one…"

Naruto looked at her dumbfounded for a moment. She would be very uncomfortable sleeping in her training clothing.

"Umm… you could borrow some of my clothes," Naruto offered. "Like a big shirt maybe?"

Hinata smiled, taking a few steps towards the bed. He was so sweet to her.

"I… I don't have to use any of your c-clothes," Hinata stammered haltingly.

"Then…" Naruto wasn't as dense as he used to be. "Hina-chan… I… we… I mean your father…"

"No," Hinata said, shaking her head. She seemed to get back some of her confidence. "I don't… we're not ready for… that… I just want to… be close."

Naruto nodded, a solemn expression on his face. Hinata reached the side of the bed and turned her back as she began pulling her jacket off her torso. Naruto shifted to turn around when Hinata glanced at him over her shoulder.

"It's okay, Naru-kun." She bit her lip as her hands fell to her side. "You… c-can look."

Naruto's mind was whirring as his eyes locked with hers, and he nodded again. She turned back around slowly and sat on the bed, reaching into her waist line and slowly sliding her comfortable training pants down her legs.

He was mesmerized. Her legs looked fantastic as her hands traveled across them, the moonlight bathing her body in an uneven blue that reminded him of her eyes. She stood up again and he felt his face flush as he saw her plain white panties. He knew she was probably blushing like mad as well.

She reached down again, her arms crossed, and pulled her shirt over her head. The way she looked as the shirt came off, revealing the wrap across her chest and the skin of her back, was beyond his description. Her hair pulled up as the shirt came over her head, giving him a rare glimpse of her bare shoulders before it began to fall, almost strand by strand, through the shirt and down her back. She slowly set the shirt to the side and paused, not turning back to him.

He was unsure if he should say something. Perhaps she was too nervous to lie down?

Her body stiffened slightly as she reached up and began to unwind the wrap around her chest. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Hina-chan," he squeaked. "You don't have to—"

"It's not good for girls to sleep with the wrap on," she said softly without even stopping or turning back to see him. Naruto was at a loss for words, and so he watched as a previously hidden part of her back slowly became visible, strip by strip.

With the way her hair fell down her body it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Soon he realized she was done as she dropped the wrapping tape to the side and her arms came up to the front of her body. She looked like she was shivering.

Naruto's protective instincts kicked in, and he crawled over to her, rising to his feet behind her shaking form. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her on the neck.

"You look incredible," he whispered into her ear. She turned in his arms slowly, her hands covering her breasts, and an unsure expression covering her red face.

"I do?" she asked softly. He bent down and gave her a few fluttering kisses on her lips.

"You do." He glanced down at her hands before looking back up to her eyes. "I'll turn around so that you can get under the covers."

"No," she replied, once again shaking her head. "I'm just… embarrassed… and nervous… but I want you to see… me."

Naruto's gaze hardened. He thought about trying to talk her out of it, as it was clearly wracking her nerves, but he saw that glint in her eye that this was something she wanted for herself, for whatever reason that may be. She had nothing to fear, he loved her.

Hinata closed her eyes tightly and stepped back, slowly removing her hands. Naruto's breath was shallow, and he felt as if his mind shut down. He'd never really been interested in a woman's breasts, though he knew well what they looked like from his days developing the Sexy no jutsu. But this was different.

Before he'd been befuddled as to why so many men seemed to find beauty in something that half of all people had, but as Hinata removed her hands, he finally understood. It was different. It was like seeing her the way she truly was, instead of the way other people saw her.

Her breasts curved into such perfect shapes, and the small pink nipples on each looked magnificent to him. Though he'd never be able to put into words why, it was so much more beautiful than any of the women he'd seen before.

He looked back up to her face as her hands rested by her side and saw her eyes still tightly shut. He smiled and stepped towards her, wrapping his arms around her back. She gasped in surprise and her eyes shot open as Naruto pulled her in, their bare skin touching in a way that made Naruto's breath catch in his throat. She put her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"You look amazing, Hina-chan." He pulled her a little tighter. "Amazing."

They slowly let go and looked into each other's eyes, and in that moment it was hard for each to not get caught up in the emotion they felt. Whether or not they were modest, their bodies knew what to do, and Naruto's was making him uncomfortably aware of what was supposed to happen next.

"Kiss me," Hinata said softly. "Please."

Naruto smiled warmly as he bent over, his right hand reaching up behind her neck. Their lips locked in a type of passion that Naruto hadn't thought Hinata capable of, and for a period of time the world seemed to melt away, and each of them forgot about where they were and how they looked.

Naruto pulled away breathing deeply, and he looked at her swollen lips realizing that she was breathing heavily as well. His mind was moving faster than he could put into words, and he bent down, putting his arms behind her legs and sweeping her up into his grasp, bridal style. She let out a soft shriek of surprise as she left her feet, her arms instantly finding their way around his neck as he walked both of them over to his bed.

He kissed her again before setting her down and crawling on top of her, his body hovering over hers, propped up on his knees and hands. Her hair was splayed out behind her, and her mouth was slightly parted, and he was certain that no one could ever look as beautiful as the woman before him.

"I love you," he said softly, gazing into her eyes.

"I love you too."

He bent over and their eyes fluttered shut as they began to kiss again, this time more slowly, savoring the feeling of each other's lips. Naruto slowly lowered his body onto hers unconsciously, as more and more of his mind became preoccupied with kissing her, until suddenly they felt a poke around the midsection and both jumped apart.

"Was that—"

"Yes," Naruto said, cutting her off as his face erupted in red. He crawled under the covers on his side of the bed and glanced at Hinata's face, wondering if she'd be upset with him. Instead she seemed intrigued, if a little embarrassed. But if she did have a question she kept it to herself, as she pulled the covers over her body as well and cuddled up to him.

She put her arm around his chest and leaned against him, using his own chest as her pillow. Her legs entwined themselves with his, and he soon found himself with his arms around her in perhaps the most comfortable position he'd ever been.

He could feel her breasts on his torso and her cotton panties against his leg. He looked down at her and saw only the blue hair of the top of her head. Naruto smiled.

"What is it?" she asked smoothly. It sounded as if she were very relaxed.

"They're very soft," he said. She snapped her head up to look at him, surprise in her eyes, before a shy blush crossed her face and she buried her face in his chest again.

"Thank you," came the muffled reply.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"You better hurry up with that," Sora said absently. "Hinata will be here for her training soon." Yasu glanced up at the younger girl before returning to the scroll in front of her.

"I'll have time," she said. A few moments of silence passed between them before Yasu spoke up again, never taking her eyes off of the various equations. "How is your research going?"

"Well," Sora began, putting down her brush. "It's complicated. I think I've found a way to purify the chakra from the fox, but I don't know _how_ to accomplish that."

"Let me see," Yasu said, putting her scroll aside and looking at her friend's work. In their days as the d'Gra Klesha they'd often found themselves just like this, passing notes between each other to try and find the epiphany that would lead them to an answer.

Yasu looked over Sora's newest notes, her brows furrowed.

"Love, huh?" Yasu glanced at Sora. "I thought you didn't believe in that kind of thing."

"Yeah well…" Sora trailed off, a bit uncomfortable. "Maybe I believe in it for other people."

If she was truthful, Sora would say that the last eight months had impacted her more than the rest of her time with Naruto and Hinata. After losing Nori things had been very chaotic, but living with ninja it also became very different. Sora was used to being around ninja, and ninja guarded emotion. Whether by blocking it out, or by portraying a false emotion, all ninja showed very little genuine emotion as a rule.

Naruto had surprised her in that regard. He was a very good ninja, especially for his age, yet he felt no need to guard his emotions. Even now, he had simply learned to control his actions… he still didn't really guard his emotions.

But after Nori had died, none of the people around her had been guarded. Yasu had been a mess, a truly emotional wreck, and it was a type of blatant emotion that Sora hadn't seen from her. Naruto had of course been very easy to read in that regard, but Hinata had as well, which surprised her. Hinata had become very good at guarding her emotion as that had been a critical part of her becoming a better ninja.

No… those last six months together, and then the two months after Naruto and Hinata had left, were different for Sora. She'd been surrounded by emotionally expressive people who had very strong emotions to express. And a long-silent part of her had begun to surface, a part she thought her father had killed long ago.

"Seems a bit romantic for you," Yasu said. "Conquering evil with love?" Sora began to turn slightly red, whether from embarrassment or simple teasing.

"Look, if it works, it works. Besides, the Kaze's work on Intention clearly shows that chakra responds to emotions like this. I don't think what I'm proposing is that much of a stretch."

"You're right," Yasu said, nodding. "All you need now is the correct seal array."

"I almost have it. I want to get as much of the array done as possible before I consult Jiraiya, the lecherous bastard." Sora glanced down at Yasu's discarded scroll. "What about you? How's your project coming?"

Yasu put down Sora's scroll and considered her own for a second before heading a heavy sigh. The project was driving her a bit mad, but in a strange way it made her feel more normal. It had been through working on this that she'd finally come to terms with Nori's death, though she knew she was walking a fine line between dedication and vengeance. Nori would not have wanted her to waste away for the sake of killing a single Uchiha.

"I know the principal, the problem is more in the medium. Many seals exist to deal with bloodlines, and some of them are very well documented, but what I'm doing is a little different, and I don't know of anyone who found a successful medium to apply such seals towards the Sharingan."

"Hmmm." Sora picked up Yasu's scroll and looked it over. "If only Minato was here. He always seemed to know mediums so well." Her eyes paused on an interesting note. "Wait… is this right? The part about how you'll have to apply the seal?"

Yasu looked away from her friend, a bit unsettled. It was rather drastic the steps she'd have to go through, but she was willing to do what was necessary.

"Yes."

"Yasu," Sora began, setting down the scroll. "Putting seals across your forehead and on your eyes is dangerous. What if it affects your brain? What if you're tattooing your eyes and something goes wrong, and you can never see again?"

"I have faith in the people who will help me," Yasu said. "Nothing will go wrong with applying the seal."

Sora looked back at the scroll and sighed. This was such a pain. Both of them startled slightly at the sound of the front door opening.

"I'm here!" Hinata's voice called out from the hallway. They glanced at each other before Yasu got up and walked over to her student, leading them both out into the backyard.

Sora sighed and went into the kitchen. All this studying was making her hungry.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto adjusted his forehead protector self-consciously, a bit nervous. He looked down at the younger boy in front of him. He had the same messy brown hair he'd come to know, but over the last few months his demeanor had changed. He acted more focused.

"Well Daisuke, class is finally over, and now we can start training." The younger boy looked at him hopefully. "Did you fill out the paper?"

Daisuke nodded, holding out his hand with a single sheet of paper in it.

"Why did I have to get that form filled out to train?"

"The Hokage wanted to make sure…" Naruto trailed off. There were several reasons. Tsunade wanted his caretakers to know that the 'demon child' would be training him. She also wanted this to go down in the village log as Naruto being a real instructor. "She wanted to make sure that all the paperwork was filled out. For the village records."

Naruto reached into his back pocket and pulled out a scroll, handing it to the younger boy.

"This is your first task. It's 100 jutsu that you need to learn before we can do anything other than taijutsu training. Practice it in your spare time, but for now, we're going to go over the first katas of the Shino-Tsu-Hiko form. The fighting style of the Kaze."

Daisuke smiled at that. He was very anxious to learn anything he could about the Kaze, and he wanted to know their fighting style when he was finally able to go there someday.

"First, I need to teach you the stances we didn't cover at the academy."

Naruto spent the next hour or so teaching him the basics that he was lacking. It was made easier by the fact that the younger boy already had learned most of the basics to the form. After they had covered all the essentials, Naruto showed him the first kata, and instructed him to practice it while he watched.

Daisuke was actually very good for a beginner. Naruto was impressed, but he wasn't about to tell his student that. Telling a student that they were gifted led to people like Sasuke. But Naruto also knew that never acknowledging success led to the childhood he'd experienced. Throughout his brief stint teaching at the academy, Naruto had learned to strike a middle ground where he made sure to encourage every student while letting them know that they were still far from finished.

Naruto sighed as he watched the boy go through the form for the fourth time, and pulled out the scroll that Jiraiya had given him. Later tonight was his second lesson, and it would be on mediums. Naruto studied the scripts on the page, glancing up to make sure Daisuke was doing alright.

Reading and writing had always been a pain for him. Not that he was illiterate, but written works always seemed to confuse him. For some reason, staring at the scroll, he didn't feel that way at all. The scroll seemed to jump out at him and reveal its secrets as he went over every stroke.

He supposed that part of it was his improved memory, which he had Sora to thank for. He'd spent a lot of time reading there, but it had still seemed annoying. Naruto was quickly discovering that he rather liked seals however, and his mind drifted slowly to the idea of mediums. _I wonder what kind of medium ramen would make?_

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata moved through her forms with grace, making the Shina-To-Be look more like a dance than a fighting style. Yasu watched from the side, a critical eye silently critiquing every mistake.

They were in Naruto's backyard, which Hinata was surprised to find remarkably maintained. As it turns out, landscaping had been something the village had kept up with on the house since the Fourth's death, and the result was quite spectacular.

The back of the house had a small covered porch made of finished wood that led out into a grassy area with bamboo encircling it on all sides. There were several beautiful shrubs near the house and the fence, and in the back corner was a koi pond with a bamboo fountain slowly trickling water into it.

The ground was soft and flat, and Hinata had been working with Yasu on her form, eager to make sure she didn't lose her skill in the form since returning to Konoha.

"Very good," Yasu said as Hinata finished her form. "You've improved since you came back."

Hinata was thrilled to hear that, and turned to look at Sora who was watching to practice from the porch. She nodded to the Hyuuga then went back inside.

This had been Minato's house and there were so many familiar parts to it. She hadn't really had the chance to ask, but she got the impression that Naruto had been too overwhelmed to really look through the house when he'd gotten here, and she wanted to see what was left of the house she remembered.

She climbed the stairs to the second floor, walking into a room that the Fourth had used for sealing practice. It was square and almost featureless except for the small table in the center and the small scroll shelf in the corner.

Sora saw a single scroll on the shelf and walked up to it, curiosity getting the better of her. It didn't look as if Naruto had been in this room, so she doubted whether the scroll was his. Sure enough the scroll had a seal on the front that she was all too familiar with: one of Minato's blood seals.

She put the scroll in her pocket and left the room. She'd have to show this to Naruto when he came home later. After all, he was the only one that could open it.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, sitting in the lotus position across from Jiraiya. Between them was the stone slab that they'd used for the first lesson. Naruto could only surmise that it was in fact _for_ instruction in seals, but he'd never seen anyone here, and had never been here before yesterday.

Jiraiya was making some sort of note in a little pad of his, and Naruto suspected that it was something perverted, but sat calmly, understanding that it could also be a test. He didn't have time to fight over training methods and how unfair they might be… if that _was_ the case. The breeze blew softly and Jiraiya stowed his pad, producing the ink well and brush from behind him.

"Today we will talk about mediums. I touched briefly on what a medium was, and how it was unique, but today we will discuss how to prepare a medium, and go more in depth about why they matter. Did you bring the scroll?" Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled it out, setting it between them. Jiraiya nodded. "Good. This will hold your notes. I may add something to it every lesson, and you can keep it and study it whenever you want.

"Now…" Jiraiya dipped the brush and opened the scroll to a blank spot. He made several quick strokes and set the brush back down. "Medium. The first character, 'bai', means 'go-between' or 'intermediary'. The second character, 'tai', means 'body' or 'substance'. This is the function that a medium performs. Did you ever learn the purpose behind hand seals?"

"Of course," Naruto said confidently. "It helps you mold chakra into a complex pattern."

"Yes," Jiraiya said, nodding. "A bit simplistic, but yes. Written seals act much like hand seals do. They take chakra and mold it into complex patterns. The difference is in _how_ complex. The simplest seals, such as an explosive tag, mold chakra just as complexly as ninjutsu dozens of hand seals long.

"The reason ninjas use their hands to form seals is because they can easily mold chakra through their hands. The purpose of a medium is to allow a ninja to mold chakra through the written seals." Jiraiya paused to make sure Naruto was keeping up. The blond simply nodded. "Surprisingly few substances are naturally capable of doing this, and vanishingly few are good at it.

"Preparing a medium involves putting in a bit of chakra and fusing it to the natural elements within the medium. Naruto." The boy stiffened a bit. "How would _just this aspect_ of sealing limit someone's ability to copy a seal?"

Naruto lowered his head for a moment, bringing his hand up to his chin and pondering the question.

"Well, I guess since you bind your chakra, it might be difficult for someone with a very different chakra pattern to use a seal written with that medium."

"That's correct," Jiraiya said, nodding. "What else?"

"I don't know," Naruto replied shrugging.

"You bind it _to the natural elements_ in the medium. Not everyone has the same elemental affinity, and because of that, people with different elemental affinities will produce slightly different mediums, even if using the same substance and having similar chakra patterns.

"For most seals, such a difference won't affect the function, but for some of the more complex ones, it could prevent it from working at all, or cause it to go horribly wrong." Naruto seemed eager at this idea. Seals sounded like an almost limitless world of wonder, where his unparalleled imagination could be a huge asset. "Why use seals instead of ninjutsu, besides it being more difficult to steal?"

"Well," Naruto began, having already thought of this, "if seals allow you to mold chakra in very, very complex patterns, then it would allow you to use more and more specific jutsu. You could control the outcome much easier, and spend less chakra doing it."

Jiraiya smiled. It wasn't his pervy smile that Naruto knew all-too-well, or his fake smile that he often wore. It was a genuine smile of approval, and it made Naruto swell with happiness. In some ways, it felt more special when he impressed someone who he had to earn that from.

For Jiraiya though it was almost like teaching Minato. No other student except Naruto had been as quick to pick up his instruction on seals.

"Alright. Take the brush and write notes out. I'm going to teach you the basics of how to prepare a medium."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Hinata moved fluidly, flowing through the form as she had never been able to before. A part of her wondered if she'd always been this capable with the Jyuuken, or if it was something that she'd been prepared for by learning the Shina-To-Be.

In fact, now that she had returned Hinata saw many things about the Jyuuken that she could use, and although it would be difficult for others in the clan to accept, that she could improve on.

"Hinata-sama," an unfamiliar voice called out from the nearby door. She stopped practicing and turned to face the speaker, a branch family member. "The council has sent me to retrieve you. They wish to speak with you immediately." Hinata sighed.

"Very well." She put on her robe, which she always took off to train, and followed the man down the corridors as he led her to a room she had hardly ever been to. He bowed and left, as her hand hovered over the handle, before finally heading in.

"Ah, Lady Hinata. Thank you for joining us." She glanced at the man. It was one of the eldest members of the council, Taiyo.

"To what do I owe this honor?" Hinata asked simply. No one was summoned at a whim. She glanced over to her father who looked impassive.

"Many of us could not help but notice the time you spend with the jinchuuriki." Hinata's eyes narrowed… she didn't like where this was heading.

"I see," she said simply. A heavy silence fell across the room. "Was there a question?" Taiyo glared at her before answering.

"A question of sorts." He glanced at the other council members before proceeding. "We have become aware of several nights where you've been unaccounted for. Naturally, someone in such a prestigious position as yourself knows better than to risks the clan's honor."

"Naturally," Hinata replied softly, trying to control her emotions. Anger and fear were two of her strongest, and she felt a great deal of both right now.

"We wouldn't dare to suggest that one so honored as yourself would… sully our honor with impropriety…"

"Oh really?" Hinata asked in an even tone. The implication was quite clear.

"Quite. However, we feel at a loss as for how to explain such absences and felt we should hear from you before we made any decisions on how to proceed."

Hinata paused, thinking carefully. This was a high-powered game of politics they were putting her into. This was as much a test of her worthiness as it was an attack on her honor. Her response would be very important.

Her first impulse was to simply say nothing. To just stay quiet until they got bored of asking. It was, after all, none of their business if she spent nights at Naruto's. Yet, that was not an option. Such a response would let the council know that they could bully her, and would make it impossible for her to ever truly be the head of the clan.

She glanced up at her father, studying the expression on his face. He seemed… weary. She wasn't sure if it was because of her or the council. But either way, he did seem rather interested in her answer.

"You say yourself that I spend time with… the jinchuuriki… is that not what you are suggesting?"

The members of the council looked between each other nervously. They were walking a fine line right now. Hiashi's eyes focused at her response.

"Perhaps more important than who you spend time with is how you spend time," Taiyo said carefully. "A clan heir must be… pure."

"Do you honestly want to hear from me on this issue, or is this simply a charade?" Hinata asked, lowering her voice. "Does what I say matter?"

Hiashi's eyes twinkled at that answer. The rest of the council bristled, and several people launched into responses at once. It was a brilliant answer, really. It forced the council to give her opinion weight, no matter their position or agenda, by challenging _their_ honor. Taiyo raised his hands and quieted the room.

"I assure you we are listening."

Hinata nodded slowly, heaving a sigh. This was a rather public place to be talking about such things. No doubt that was on purpose. By having the full council there Taiyo had probably felt he would be able to intimidate Hinata into revealing a truth he strongly suspected. It was perhaps a small irony that the truth was more mundane, if a little personally embarrassing.

This was another part of the game, she realized. The embarrassment would reinforce the idea that the council could control her and her actions, and that she was subordinate to them. While not strictly speaking true, according to tradition, the council often wrestled silently with the clan head for power within the clan, no unlike the Hokage and the village council often did.

"Many of these nights I was deep in my own training, preparing for upcoming matches and the Jounin exam. Each time I fell asleep where I was training, then returned the next morning."

Hinata felt proud of herself at the answer. Strictly speaking it was true. Every time she'd spent the night at Naruto's, she'd been training there.

"And what of the jinchuuriki? Has that remained respectable?" It was a bit more blunt of a question than the council usually asked, but then, Hinata was being difficult.

Her features steeled into a sort of frustration. She had grown much more independent while she'd been away, and a part of her felt that no one had the right to control her life in this way, and that part was rather upset at the council.

"It has remained as respectable as I've desired." The silence that followed was total. No one moved or made any attempt to reply for several seconds.

"As respectable as you've desired?" Taiyo repeated back. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means that it is my responsibility to concern myself with that."

Again the room fell silent. She was still being partially diplomatic about it, but the message was clear: it was none of their business.

"Are you suggesting that we leave such things up to the purview of a child such as yourself?"

"Child?" Hinata asked, losing her grip on her emotions slightly. "Perhaps you have forgotten the match with Neji, councilor."

"Are you threatening me?" Taiyo nearly shouted. "Do you have _no_ respect for our clan? For our tradition?"

"Do you?" Hinata replied, her tone becoming more acidic. "Is it tradition to interrogate heirs? Do branch members traditionally question the purity of the main family?"

The council remained silent, suitably cowed by her response. She took a deep breath and continued, slightly more composed.

"How far has our clan fallen that our place within the village relies on the propriety of the clan heir, and not on the quality of fighters which we produce." She paused to let that sentence fully impact them. "Perhaps the council should be more concerned about why such a matter is important, instead of simply that it is.

"I am doing everything I do with my position in mind. That is the only answer I will give on this issue."

The council members looked between each other for a moment, but Hiashi's eyes were locked on his daughter. She was fiery and strong-willed, two words that he would never have used to describe her before. And more importantly, her words struck true. Perhaps she was as concerned about the clan as she had been saying.

"Very well, that's all we need to know." Hinata bowed slowly and began to leave before pausing and slowly turning. The council members all addressed her curiously. Surely she didn't wish to further discuss matters.

"Before I leave I wanted to let you know: this clan, and this village, are changing. You cannot control that. All you can do is change with it. I suggest you do." She bowed once more and left swiftly, the council once more stunned into silence.

Hiashi watched his eldest daughter leave with no small amount of curiosity.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"I'm home!" Naruto called out as he walked in the door. He walked down the hall and into the kitchen to get a drink of water as Sora walked slowly into the room and watched him. He took a few gulps and set down his cup, looking at her oddly. "What's going on?"

"I found something today," Sora said, pulling a scroll out of her pocket. She tossed it to Naruto. It had an unfamiliar script on the front that was unmistakably part of a seal. Naruto examined it for a moment. The medium appeared to be some sort of wax that was stamped onto the scroll. "It's your father's." Naruto's head jerked up.

"How do you know that?" Sora nodded at the scroll, walking over and pointing at the seal on the front.

"This," she said. "It's one of your father's blood seals. You're the only one that can open it." Naruto looked once again at the script in wonder.

"Where did you find it?"

"In your father's sealing room." That got Naruto's attention as well.

"He had a sealing room in the house?"

"Follow me," Sora said. They walked up the stairs and into a room Naruto had never ventured into before. His eyes fell to the table in the middle of the room, the tatami mat floor colored by the wealth of natural lighting from the south facing window. It was a perfect room for him to practice sealing.

Sora walked over to the table and sat down, cross-legged. Naruto paused, looking at the scroll in his hand, before sitting across from her. He set the scroll down between them and looked up at her.

"How do I open it?"

"A drop of blood here," she said, pointing to the script. "Then activate the seal."

Naruto nodded. He bit his thumb, pressing it onto the seal and pushing chakra through it. Almost instantly he could feel the heat below his thumb as the seal dissolved away, and the scroll rolled open slightly. He picked it up and rolled it out so that he could read it easier.

_Naruto,_

_I don't have much time now. I wish I was there right now to tell you all of this, but it seems that my life will be a short one, if not happy while it lasted._

_I'm leaving you all of my library, which is in my sealing room. To open it, go to the farthest wall, and in the middle swipe blood across the blank tile then activate it. You won't be able to see it, but there's a seal there that will activate and let you in._

Below that was a diagram explaining where the seal was located. Naruto looked up at Sora who had finished reading and they both looked over at the wall, instantly spotting the tile in question. Naruto stood up and walked over, swiping his still cut thumb across the wall before pressing his palm into it and activating the hidden seal.

The back wall began to glow and slowly disappeared, leaving an open space nearly twice as large as the room had been. In it were hundreds of scrolls. Naruto and Sora gaped as they looked at the vastness of the library. There were shelves upon shelves of scrolls, all filled. There were even scrolls on the ground. Some were large, like the forbidden scroll he'd stolen to become a Genin. Others were pocket sized.

"Wow," Sora said breathlessly. Naruto agreed. He'd never seen anything like it before. His eyes scanned the room, wondering where to start, when he spotted one of the larger scrolls, about two feet wide, with his name on it.

He walked over and picked it up, turning it over. _Open alone_, it said below his name. He glanced up at Sora who was walking around the space, digging into the library.

"Why don't you look around," Naruto said. "I've got to read this." Sora looked at him, then at the scroll in his hand and nodded.

He left, heading up to his room on the third floor and closed the door, taking a deep breath. What would _this_ scroll contain?

He slowly unfurled it and instantly spotted the storage seal that was there. It had some text below and he began to read it.

_Son,_

_I'm sorry that it came to this. Tomorrow I'm going to seal a demon into you, if everything goes as planned. Your mother wouldn't have approved but… I think she understands. She died just yesterday giving birth._

_I imagine you're wondering why I did it. Why I chose you to seal the demon into. The truth is that it is a selfish decision. Your mother is already gone, and I will be soon. In this chaos I'm never going to be able to reveal your parentage to the village, so you'll be alone in the world. By doing this I can ensure you survive. I couldn't bear the thought of you dying because of my sacrifice._

_I hope that the villagers understand, and treat you as the hero you are, but I suspect that won't be the case. If not, I'm sorry for that. I would think that you are probably a little angry at me for it._

_In this scroll I'm going to try and tell you the things that I won't be able to tell you when the time comes. First I'd like to tell you about your mother._

_Her name is Kushina, but everyone knows her by her fighting name, Nanashi. She was a wonderful person, a real idealist who believed that everyone deserved to be saved. That everyone deserved a chance at life. _

_She came from out west, just like me, from a long gone clan of ninjas who were renowned in their ability with the sword. She was no exception. They were called the Tsukito… the Moon People._

_With her was a young girl that she considered a daughter who was called Sora. She was sent to the Kaze in the west when the demon was reported to be approaching. If you can, find her. She is the closest thing you have to family now. Her past was complicated and tragic, and I won't explain anything about her clan. You must ask her about it._

_Oddly, I am also from a clan in the West. The Sannin Jiraiya found me when I was a baby in some rubble, the only survivor. During my time with your mother I discovered the clan I came from. They had been destroyed by greed and corruption, but I was able to preserve many of their scrolls in my library._

_Many people will tell you I was a Seal Master, Naruto. But this was not by accident. The clan we came from had a special quality to them. Nearly everyone from that clan was attuned to scrolls. They were known in the west for being able to construct terribly complicated scrolls in short amounts of time, which they were only able to do because of their ability._

_I don't know quite how it works, and neither did they. But when I sit in front of a scroll, it's almost as if the scripts talk to me. When I prepare a medium, it is almost as if I know the very properties themselves of the substance._

_From everything I gathered, it is not a blood line. It is simply an attunement, like an elemental affinity. I believe others could be taught this attunement, or acquire it over time, but alas, that is another of my theories that I have run out of time to test._

_Several of the scrolls in my library will make little sense without this ability. They are constructed in such a way that one is nearly required to be attuned to seals in order to decipher them. If you have this ability also, they will show you how to refine it._

_In the storage seal is my diary. I know your mother kept one, but I was never able to get it from her. If you find Sora she might be able to help you find it. I've also included some instruction scrolls to help you become a better ninja, if that's what you've decided to do._

_I love you, and I hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to do._

_Minato Uzumaki_

Naruto sat, stunned. Tears were forming in his eyes and he read through the entire thing again. It was the first thing either of his parents had written directly to him, and he could almost hear a warm, gentle voice saying the words as he read.

He wiped his eyes and looked at the storage scroll. He had been able to read through his mother's diary, and it had helped him know her better. Now it was time to learn about his dad.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Please remain still," the man said plainly. He wore large glasses, and a confident smirk.

"I am always still, Kabuto," Sasuke replied. The medic nin chuckled briefly, giving the younger ninja a shot before taking some measurements using a medical jutsu.

"It is almost time," the medic said casually. "How do you feel about going back to Konoha? You'll be able to see Naruto and Sakura."

"I don't care," the stoic Uchiha replied. "They are from my past. Something from childhood to forget about."

Kabuto continued taking his measurements, letting silence persist between them for a few seconds. Orochimaru was very specific about the things he needed to learn.

"And Konoha?"

The Uchiha turned to the medic, the faintest glimmer of fire in his eyes.

"They will receive their punishment."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

**Author's Note:** Well this chapter is LONG and was done QUICKLY. Don't get used to it. ~_^

I have to say, I have been wrestling with how to approach the physical aspect of Naruto and Hinata's relationship for a while. I'm still not sure if we'll ever see a lemon in this story. They're about 16 now, which is still a bit young. Regardless, the first scene in this chapter was necessary, and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Before I get a bunch of groans about the last scene, what I'm doing in the last scene is NOT supposed to be a bloodline, and we'll see over the course of the story how it differs. I have to reveal a lot more about the nature of chakra before it will really make sense, but we're on our way.

Please let me know what you think. I'm not a review whore, but I do kind of enjoy it when readers engage the story critically. The best reviews I ever get are from people who have ideas about what's going to happen next, or have specific things that they like. It lets me know that the story was good enough that parts of it stuck in their mind.

As I said in the last chapter… over 650 people have this story on alerts, and about 40 people review it per chapter (sometimes more). Usually about 1 out of every 100 people that read a chapter leave a review. It doesn't take much time, so go ahead and leave one. ~_^

Also, if you leave a signed review I try to respond to it. I obviously can't really respond to reviews from people who say "Awesome!", but when people ask questions I try and reply to their reviews.

Lastly, I know there's been some fanart based on Twice Shy. If anyone would like to send me a link to any Twice Shy inspired fanwork I'll be sure to pass that along for everyone else to see.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Pre-Note: **There seems to be some confusion about continuity in this story. I don't blame you, some very important things are different. Some of the points that have been lost:

- In this story Minato's family name is Uzumaki. I didn't choose that, DameWren did, as she wrote it before his family name was revealed.  
- Sasuke was never dealt with in Two Halves, but at the beginning of Twice Shy, it was revealed that events had occurred as in canon: Sasuke left to join Orochimaru.  
- Naruto's mother was known as Nanashi (which literally means "no-name"... or "seven deaths") however her real name is Kushina. She is from the west, not Whirlpool.  
- Several characters have been getting little or no page time. Most of this is intentional.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Daisuke was hungry and felt he deserved a treat. And for him that treat was going to be a bowl of ramen at his mentor's favorite noodle stand: Ichiraku's. He'd spent the entire morning training the things Naruto had been teaching him, finally feeling that he was making progress.

The form of the Kaze was familiar yet frustrating, presenting an interesting counter-point to how most ninja thought of taijutsu. In Daisuke's experience, ninja thought of taijutsu as an alternative to using their chakra. But for the Kaze taijutsu was the primary way of utilizing it. Ninja were taught control, and yet Shino-Tsu-Hiko taught how to let it go.

And dammit if it wasn't hard.

He looked around as he was walking, his eyes drawn to the ominous doors of the distinctive Uchiha complex, made even more onerous by its lack of inhabitants. Daisuke scowled.

Clans all seemed to be bad news he thought. The Uchiha clan had been destroyed by one of their own who'd gone crazy, a product of the arrogance and lust for power that drove them. His clan hadn't been much different from what Naruto had told him.

Hatred and power made dangerous partners, and clans seemed to amplify that, allowing people to give justification to their desires which would otherwise serve to only ruin their own lives. And because clans represented family they stuck together, making it difficult at best for someone to really change the way they were.

Daisuke looked back at the dirt path, kicking a stone. He really wanted to see his family, and honestly couldn't wait to leave with Naruto whenever he was able to, but there was a part of him that was afraid. Afraid that he'd find the same coldness and calculation he'd seen in so many other faces. From what Naruto had said it sounded like they'd come to their senses, but it was that same madness that had probably cost him his parents and made him an orphan.

He sighed as he walked up to the ramen stand.

"Hey there Daisuke," the girl behind the counter called out with a friendly smile. Daisuke suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable at how bad he was with names, especially with someone so pretty, if not older. What was her name again? "What can we get for you?"

"One beef please," he said taking a stool at the empty stand. "Oh and add an egg please."

"Coming right up," Ayame replied cheerily. The pair in the kitchen began to dutifully prepare his order.

"Hey Daisuke!" he snapped his head around at the vaguely familiar voice. Bounding towards him was a brown-haired ninja he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Konohamaru, how's it going?" The slightly older boy gave him a partly feral grin as Daisuke finally noticed the two other ninja's behind the Third's grandson. Their Jounin sensei was nowhere in sight, so Daisuke figured that they'd just been let go. Of course Konohamaru would come straight to Ichiraku's. Much like Naruto, Konohamaru practically made a religion out of eating here.

"Pretty good. You?"

"Good. A lot's happened since you left. Plenty has changed in the last six months." Moegi and Udon sat down at the other end of the stand and ordered their meal from the smiling Ayame while the two talked.

"Like what?" Konohamaru asked. Daisuke thought about it for a moment, trying to find a good starting place.

"Well, when you left for your extended mission I was just starting my last term at the academy right? One of the teachers they had was from the west, or actually had just come back from the west, and he was teaching all about the clans there. Turns out it's where I came from. Or where my parents did…"

Konohamaru was intrigued. He'd become friends with the younger Daisuke while at the academy, and even though they were a year apart they had trained a lot together, so he was familiar with Daisuke's history, or lack thereof.

"Your parents were from the west?"

"Yeah. It gets better too. Our teacher knew their clan techniques and he's been training me on them ever since. He said that he'd take me out to see my cousin sometime after I become a genin."

"When is the exam, by the way?" Konohamaru moved to take a seat next to Daisuke as Ayame placed the bowl of beef noodle soup in front of the younger boy. He looked down and noticed not one but two eggs. This is why everyone kept coming back.

"Next week. You gonna order anything?" Konohamaru seemed surprised by the question before turning and placing his order with the helpful waitress. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to pass too. All the stuff Naruto is teaching me is—"

"NARUTO!" Moegi and Udon turned to look at their teammate in confusion. "HE'S BACK!" Daisuke looked at him oddly.

"Er, yeah. He was the guy that's been helping me. He was the teacher in my class."

Konohamaru said nothing for nearly a minute, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly as if his brain had shut off.

"Damn, the boss is always two steps ahead. I thought it was awesome how we had such a long important mission and then he goes and does this." He looked disgruntled but Daisuke thought he sounded more annoyed, like one would sound after hearing that the amount of homework had been doubled. "Well I've got to go see him then. It's been a long time."

"Wait a bit," Daisuke said, slurping up his meal as he talked. "He's pretty busy what with preparing for the Jounin exams and training with Jiraiya and spending time with his girlfriend."

"Speaking of girlfriends…" Konohamaru muttered. Daisuke followed his gaze and saw a familiar Hyuuga approaching. He scoffed.

"Maru, she hasn't said yes to you once." Konohamaru looked at him a bit exasperated.

"Well she'll come to her senses eventually." He waved at her as she got closer. "Oi! Hanabi-chan!"

Hinata's sister heard her name and looked over curiously. There was something familiar about that voice… Oh. And it was so peaceful and quiet while he was gone… She smiled softly as she changed direction to go say hi. He could be annoying but he was fun to be around.

"Welcome back, Konohamaru. I hope your mission went well." The Naruto-protégé smirked in a self-satisfied way, scratching the back of his head.

"Well of course! Not just anyone can guard the Daimyo's daughter!"

Hanabi smiled mischievously as she saw her opening. She loved teasing him, even if it was kind of a pain how he was always trying to ask her for a date.

"I bet you had to keep a close watch."

"Yup!"

"I bet you personally made sure she was safe."

"Of course!"

"Even when she took baths?" Konohamaru stopped and started to blush slightly while Daisuke burst into laughter. The Hyuuga grinned like a predator who'd trapped their prey. "I bet she was awfully pretty, being a noble and all. And I bet she was super impressed by a real ninja." She paused for a moment before swooping in for the kill. "Did our ickle Maru-chan become a man on this mission?"

Konohamaru tried to form words but they failed him, and his blush only deepened. Moegi who had been listening in rolled her eyes and turned to her own meal, but Udon spoke up.

"Don't tease him too much. She wouldn't take no for an answer."

Daisuke and Hanabi nearly fell over laughing as Konohamaru rounded on his teammate, jerked out of his speechless trance.

"Hey! It was only a kiss! And you said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Daisuke wiped the tears from his eyes, patting Konohamaru on the back.

"The Daimyo's daughter, huh? Score."

"It wasn't like that!" Konohamaru insisted. He glanced over at Hanabi who had stopped laughing and was giving him a more genuine smile. "I like someone else anyway."

She smirked and leaned in quickly, her mouth inches from his ear.

"Maybe one day you'll even get a real kiss," she whispered before running off on whatever errand she'd been on. Konohamaru was stunned and it was a few seconds before he even looked around to see where she'd gone to, but she'd already disappeared into the village.

"Quite the ladies man," Daisuke said innocently.

"Shove it."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"Hmmm…" Tsunade didn't like what she was about to do, but when there was a choice between being Hokage and being Tsunade, she had an obligation to be the former. It was quite annoying.

"Hokage-sama," Shizune called out from the door. Tsunade looked up, her annoyance plain on her face.

"What is it?"

"Danzo is here to see you."

Tsunade groaned. Just what she needed… she was already in a bad mood without having to tolerate that codger.

"Send him in." Within moments Konoha's most secretive ninja entered her office and sat down in the open chair without preamble. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. He obviously had something specific he wanted to accomplish, but with Danzo it was rarely what he appeared to be doing. "What can I do for you Danzo, I'm busy with the upcoming Jounin exam schedule."

"That's what I wanted to discuss actually." That caught the Hokage off guard. Nothing about any of the exams ever interested Danzo. Unless… perhaps he had a ROOT candidate he wanted to co-opt.

"By all means," Tsunade said, setting her paperwork aside.

"I feel it's a bit premature to be pushing for Jounin rank with Hinata and Naruto. They both recently returned from a very long mission where we know little about what really happened with them."

"You'll need a better reason than that," Tsunade said plainly. She didn't have time for this.

"You still haven't briefed the council on their activities over the last three years where they had no contact with anyone from Konoha and spent all their time with a foreigner, who supposedly was training them to be better Konoha ninja.

"We know only the bare essentials. They travelled to the west, which should itself be a consideration, had a confrontation with a powerful clan over there and got into a battle with some Akatsuki members. This hardly seems like a good reason to put them up for Jounin, especially since neither are proper Chuunin."

"I gave them a fully valid field promotion," Tsunade told him. "They absolutely are ready to be Jounin, I assure you of that."

"Perhaps they are ready to be Jounin ninja, but are they ready to be Konoha ninja?"

"They never stopped being Konoha ninja," Tsunade replied. She was starting to get a headache… why had she not had some sake earlier?

"They were being trained by a foreign ninja. They weren't Konoha ninja when they returned."

Tsunade had to reign in her initial reaction, which was to throttle the man. How dare he say something like that about Naruto and Hinata, or about Sora.

"Sora is someone I trust completely, and she has made good on her end of the deal by coming to the village where she can help." Danzo cleared his throat.

"That's actually another matter where I believe you've erred. It is not something to take lightly to simply include a foreign ninja in the village, and it should have been something the council decided on."

"The council is for counseling. On this matter I require none."

Danzo stared at her silently for a few moments before replying in his gravelly voice.

"Perhaps a compromise then. Allow me to have a few ninja I trust vet them." Tsunade nearly snorted at the suggestion. When you were prepared for it Danzo was obscenely transparent. This whole conversation had been about creating a conflict so that it could be resolved with what he really wanted: access to the village's Jinchuuriki, the Hyuuga heiress and a powerful foreign ninja.

"And find them returned as loyal members of ROOT? I don't think so."

"ROOT was disbanded long ago, you know that." Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, and I'm still 22. I've turned a blind eye to the fact that ROOT is still operating because you've kept them out of my hair, so how about this instead: you leave and in return I won't go about actually disbanding your secret police."

Danzo's face darkened. He had expected resistance, but not outright hostility or blunt confrontation. That hadn't been part of the plan.

Plan B then.

"Very well, I can't cure you of self-imposed ignorance." He rose slowly, bowed, and left without another word.

"Gah," Tsunade exclaimed after he'd left. "Why did I let the shrimp talk me into taking this job?" She reached into her bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle.

"How did the meet—" Shizune stopped as she saw the bottle on the Hokage's desk. "Tsunade!"

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Yasu and Hinata sat at the dining room table in Naruto's house. He was out training, as he liked to spend most of his time, but Hinata needed a good chat and that's what she was here for.

"I don't understand what's gotten into my clan," Hinata said unsurely. "They were always strict, but they've become… paranoid. Xenophobic even. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Clans often get that way if they feel themselves falling behind," Yasu commented sagely. "As odd as it may sound, most clans try to simply change the rules so that they remain on top, instead of becoming better."

"But that's crazy," Hinata exclaimed. "When you meet a foreign ninja they don't care what rules you've invented, they just try to kill you."

"Of course," Yasu agreed. "But how many of your clan regularly go on missions where they might meet foreign ninja?"

Hinata stopped to think. Not too many. Neji was the most active ninja among their clan, and he was also the most talented in both their techniques and dealing with other ninja. Sure, the Hyuuga clan had plenty of Jounin and Chuunin to their credit, but most of them worked on clan duties or similar tasks. It was rare for a Hyuuga to leave the village, and one of the big reasons was that her clan was utterly paranoid of someone stealing their bloodline.

"I suppose you're right, but they lose their ability as ninja. It makes the clan weaker… much weaker."

"Well," Yasu said, smiling, "I guess you can change that once you become clan head." Hinata's face steeled.

"A _lot_ of things will change once I become clan head."

Yasu nodded in agreement, and glanced over at Miki who was amusing herself with one of the toys she had. Clans had brought so much sorrow to the world… they brought grief to Nori's life, and then to Itachi's, who then brought it to hers. She frowned at that thought.

"_You failed her,"_ Yasu heard. Her eyes widened in surprise. That had been Nori's voice. _"Because of you she doesn't have a father. She barely has a mother."_

The words stung, but Yasu glanced at Hinata to see if she had heard the voice too, but the young Hyuuga heiress showed no signs of hearing Nori. She decided to ignore it. Even in the ninja world, hearing voices was a bad thing. But even as she put on a smile, Yasu felt the sting of the words she'd heard, and a sliver of doubt crept into her mind. Perhaps it was her fault…

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

Naruto was sitting in the lotus position, as he had done several times now. He had been able to vastly improve his control through his meditation type training, but he felt that he was still improving from it, and wanted to see how far it could push him.

He evened his breath, collected his chakra, and began to use intention. As it had each time before, he felt himself almost communicating with the world around him. Only this time, it seemed that he was communicating with the elements around him. It was strange. The wind was playful, the earth was very serious… all around him he felt the elements flowing through the world.

_It would be nice if you were blowing the other way, Mr. Breeze,_ Naruto thought. It was a flippant thought, almost an instinctual reaction. He had felt like the wind was talking to him, and so he talked back. But to his surprise the wind responded and immediately began blowing in the other direction, directly into Naruto's face.

His focus immediately ceased, and his awareness with it; he was simply too surprised to continue holding it. The wind had responded? Had that been a coincidence? He settled himself back down and decided to check.

After centering himself once more, he pulled in his chakra and released it outward in a wave, the familiar feelings flooding over him. _Hello there earth. Would you care to shift a bit?_ Naruto thought he felt something like an acknowledgment, but the ground didn't move. _Wind? Would you mind swirling around me?_ This time the response was instant and precise, a soft swirl of air forming around him. _Perhaps a bit stronger?_ The wind picked up and he could feel the miniature vortex. _Thank you, that's enough._

The wind stopped and Naruto opened his eyes again. This was wildly different than anything he had ever seen before. It was as if he was carrying a conversation with the wind, and it was responding. That wasn't how jutsu worked. He knew several elemental jutsu, and there was nothing like this involved.

He saw some immediate advantages to what it was he was doing. First, it appeared that when properly in tune he could exert very fine control over what the wind was doing. Second, there was no real jutsu involved, and thus there was nothing to copy or steal. Much like seals, this was something he imagined you just had to learn. And the fact he'd never heard of it before suggested to him that perhaps no one had ever had enough chakra to do it before.

_I wonder why the wind responded but not the earth?_ Naruto stood up and dusted himself up, deciding he needed to think about it for a while.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

"You wanted to see us Baa-chan?" Tsunade scowled at him. She was already in a bad mood. Partly due to the conversation with Danzo, but also because of the reason she'd called Naruto and Hinata here.

"The Jounin pre-lims are coming up, brat." She paused for a moment. "The pre-lims aren't an elimination tournament, they are simply a showcase that allows the village elders to determine whether or not a ninja is worth to take the Jounin exam."

"C'mon Baa-chan," Naruto said, waving dismissively. "We already knew that."

"You will hold your match against each other."

The room became dead silent, and the expression on all three of their faces was frozen. Naruto broke first, his face very clearly betraying his anger and frustration.

"No!" Naruto shouted. Both Hinata and Tsunade jumped at his proclaimation, such was the veracity of his statement. "Not gonna happen. Figure something else out." His tone had lost the feel of friendly banter.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly. "Tsunade-sama is the Hokage. Show more respect."

Tsunade winced again at Hinata's voice. The young Hyuuga wasn't blowing up at her, she sounded… hurt… betrayed. Disappointed.

"Hina-chan, it doesn't make sense. This is stupid."

"Naruto," Tsunade spoke with calm authority. "I am the Hokage. It's the job you want some day, right? Well when you're Hokage you need to do what's best for the village, even when it's inconvenient. You and Hinata know each other very well." The statement made Hinata blush slightly, although she thought the additional implications probably weren't meant. "The Jounin pre-lims are supposed to genuinely showcase what kind of Jounin each ninja would be. I can't find that out by putting you two up against anyone else."

"Hinata shouldn't have to do it," Naruto countered. "She's already had two matches to prove her skill."

"That's true," Tsunade said, nodding. "But the pre-lims are attended by some of the Daimyo's court. Unfortunately they would not be impressed to learn that Hinata has already had a few matches. I'm afraid there's very little way around it. I must have both of you compete, and the only good way to do that is to have you match against each other."

The room fell silent for a moment as Tsunade allowed them to take it in. She hated that she had to do this, but another part of her felt that it was good thing. Being a ninja was unfair and difficult. That was something that all Jounin had to have the ability to work past.

"When are the matches?" Naruto asked demurely. He had resigned himself to their upcoming fight.

"One week."

Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other before turning back to the Slug Sannin.

"We'll be ready." With that, Naruto turned to leave. Hinata quickly bowed before following him out the door.

"Well, it could have gone worse."

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

The couple arrived at Naruto's house, Hinata closing the door behind them. She was very bothered, and it was clear Naruto was as well.

"Maybe it's for the best," Hinata offered. Naruto looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "At least we know that we won't really try to kill each other."

A faint smile graced Naruto's lips before he pulled her into a tight hug.

"That's my girl," Naruto whispered in her ear. "Always seeing the bright side."

Hinata blushed slightly, returning his embrace.

"Is… would it be alright if I stayed here tonight?" Hinata asked softly. Naruto lifted her chin up so that they were looking each other in the eye and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Of course." Naruto glanced around the house briefly. "I think Sora must be out right now. It's a bit late, so we should get to my room before she returns."

"What about Yaus and Miki?" Hinata asked.

"They're always asleep by now."

Sure enough, as they climbed the stairs Naruto paused and picked out the distinct sound of even breathing behind Yasu's door. They quietly entered Naruto's room and he shut the door behind them, letting out a heavy sigh as if to let go of the stress of the day. He turned back towards Hinata and they stared at each other for a moment before Naruto broke the silence.

"Er, I suppose we should get ready for bed…" They both began to blush, remembering the last time they slept here together. "Umm… did you want something to sleep in?"

Hinata hesitated but shook her head 'no' before reaching down and beginning to remove her outer layer of clothing. Naruto tore his eyes away, finding himself even more embarrassed since the room was well lit, and busied himself with taking his own clothes off.

By the time he was down to his boxers Hinata was already in the bed under the covers. She was staring at him oddly, and it actually made him look down and glance over his body just to make sure nothing was wrong.

"Uh… right then…" He walked over to the bed and lifted the covers only to immediately drop them in surprise. "Y—You're not wearing anything."

Hinata blushed profusely but forced a smile onto her face.

"I…" She stopped, unable to find the right words momentarily. "No matter what happens in the match, I love you."

Naruto smiled warmly. "I love you too." He looked down at himself once more. "Umm… Seems a bit unfair for me to be wearing something…"

"Eep!" Hinata squeaked in surprise at his comment as her eyes were drawn to his boxers unbidden. "That's alright," she muttered quickly. "I… I didn't do this to make you take… that off…"

Her shyness and honesty put Naruto at ease, and he felt his nervousness and insecurity begin to fade.

"No way," he said firmly. "Besides, for you, I'd do anything."

He hooked his thumbs in the waistband, and before she could reply, removed his last piece of clothing in one swift motion. Hinata felt her face burning up. The fast movement had naturally drawn her eyes right back to his waist, and once the boxers were off… she found she couldn't look away. She felt horribly embarrassed, and with great effort, looked at the ceiling instead. Naruto felt strangely in control. He reached for the covers and crawled underneath them, his body pressing up against hers.

They both were silent for several seconds, neither knowing what they should say or do.

"Umm…" Naruto began, glancing over at Hinata. She turned and faced him. "It… umm… well… was it alright?"

Like a brick through a stain-glass window, Hinata's nervousness was shattered. She burst into laughter, amused at his question. She'd seen him go into impossible situations without a second thought. The idea that something so simple could perturb him was both amusing and comforting.

"Yes," she replied after several moments of laughing. She reached her hand across his stomach and traced a few small circles on his skin. "More than alright." She paused for a moment. "Umm… what about me?"

Naruto stared into eyes for a few seconds before gazing away.

"Uh… I don't know." Hinata tried not to feel hurt. Didn't know?

"What do you mean?" she asked in barely a whisper.

"It's just… I looked away quickly, and I've never seen a girl's… I've never…" He looked back at her, exasperated. "I'm not sure what it's all supposed to look like…"

Sure, a part of Hinata was enormously embarrassed, but another part, the part that she was embracing, felt empowered. He was seemingly befuddled by her body. He liked the way she looked so much that he was getting flustered… it made her feel so beautiful. She debated with herself, but only for a moment.

"Fair's fair," she said before slipping out from the bed and standing, naked, next to where she'd been laying down. Naruto, who was feeling uncomfortable again, was avoiding looking at her. "Naruto-kun, it's alright. You can look."

He looked at her face for a few moments before his eyes slowly slid down her body. If there was a single word Naruto would use to describe the way she looked in all her natural beauty, it would be elegant. The curves of her body flowing into one another, a physical representation of harmony.

He tore his eyes away, realizing that he'd been staring at her feminine qualities. A small smile filled his features.

"More than alright," he said, answering her earlier question. "Perfect."

Hinata felt as if she was glowing as she climbed back into the bed, his praise ringing in her ears. It was so nice to be this close.

"Umm…" Hinata started. "Would you… like to touch?"

"… Touch?" Naruto parroted. Hinata lowered the covers so that her breasts were visible, only inches from him, her blush returning full force. He slowly reached his hand forward, as if entranced, and hovered over her chest for a few moments. Hinata finally grabbed his hand and guided it to her chest, the contact making her tingle. Naruto got a curious look on his face and gave it a light test squeeze. A squeak escaped Hinata's lips, the signal Naruto had come to learn meant he was doing something she liked. "They really _are_ soft," he observed.

Naruto looked up at her face and smiled. His hand still on her, he leaned forward and placed his lips on hers, kissing her with a passion that took her breath away. She returned his kiss immediately, and moaned into his mouth slightly, a sound he had only heard from her a few times before.

Hinata wasn't sure how long they were like that, kissing each other while he tried to fondle her, but her thoughts were sidetracked as soon as she felt a firm protrusion on her leg. They pulled away from the kiss and stared at each other for a few more moments.

"We should try to get some sleep," she finally said. He made that pouty face at her that she found unbearably adorable.

"Why's that?"

"Because… I don't want to… go too far tonight. And if we don't stop, I might change my mind."

"How's that a bad thing?" he asked her, his pout still in full force. She laughed.

"Not tonight," she affirmed. "When… we go further… I want it to just be you and me, with nothing else to worry about."

Naruto nodded. She was right, they couldn't be up too late, and there were other people in the house. She layed herself across his chest and they slowly drifted off to sleep, each reveling in the feeling of their embrace.

**:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::xxxx:::::**

**Author's Note: **No big author's note for this one. Thanks for all the feedback, and I hope that you're enjoying the story. The fic is going to pick up a lot in action from here on out.

This particular delay was due to my hard drive failing twice. That's right, this is the third time I've written this chapter. I can't say it got better each time, as I became more and more apathetic each time I had to write the chapter over, but I don't think it suffered, other than being tremendously late.

PS: There was a sentence in the first scene that escaped my edit hammer. A product of writing it three times. Thanks Oni for pointing it out.


End file.
